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Reflections of an orthopaedic surgeon as Medical Director for planned care Andrea H Sott
A Andrea H Sott is a Consultant Foot & Ankle Orthopaedic Surgeon and Divisional Medical Director for Planned Care at Epsom & St Helier NHS Trust/ London. After graduating from medical school in Germany, she completed 10 years of basic and Higher Surgical Orthopaedic Training on the SW Thames Training Programme, London. She entered the GMC Specialist Register as a fully specialty qualified Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon in 2004, when she joined Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals. She is a Senior Examiner for JCIE and previously Surgical Tutor for the Royal College of Surgeons of England, sits on Consultant Appointment Committees as Royal College Rep and attends standard setting meetings for the JCIE, Edinburgh.
few years ago, when I was a recently appointed Clinical Director for Trauma & Orthopaedics, I was facing our executive panel across the board room table during my first high level performance meeting. With a welcoming smile our paediatrician Medical Director greeted me and exclaimed her delight and surprise to see an ‘orthopod’ at a very senior leadership meeting with the words: “We usually don’t expect orthopaedic surgeons here – aren’t you guys always busy down at the private hospital?” In that moment, reflecting on the implication of her remarks I promised myself and our executive team that things were going to change...and for the better! High time to demonstrate our skills, dedication, passion and determination as Orthopaedic Surgeons to step up to the top table and have our valuable clinical voice heard.
How I got here I joined the NHS 28 years ago as a Senior House Officer in A&E working day and night to earn a living, give my best as a doctor and learn the language to pass the FRCS and gain a training number in T&O in the South West Thames rotation.
Now a Consultant Surgeon with a subspecialty interest in foot and ankle surgery and trauma at Epsom & St Helier since 2004, the ethos of hard work and absolute focus never left me and permeates my clinical and managerial work at all levels. In my early years, I mainly focused on building our Foot and Ankle Unit where there was none before as well as helping to establish one of the best performing Hip Fracture Units according to the NHFD. We now run a well-recognised foot and ankle service with three Consultants, a BOA fellow, two SpRs and a surgical scrub practitioner who manages our PROMS Amplitude database as well.
Tao Te Ching: • A leader is best when people barely know she exists • Not so good when people obey her • Worse when they despise her • Fail to honour people they fail to honour you • But of a good leader who talks little • When her work is done...aims fulfilled • They will say: “We did it ourselves!”
24 | JTO | Volume 09 | Issue 01 | March 2021 | boa.ac.uk
I remember my SpR interview in 1997 only too well. My first child was still recovering in neonatal ICU after an eight week premature delivery. This was then followed by 6.5 years of full-time training as a single parent without any immediate family in this country. Hail to my au-pairs and friends who were the backbone at home and allowed my career to take off including passing the FRCS Orth and a trauma fellowship at Hannover Trauma Unit.
Fast forward to 2015 when my CEO rang me during a summer holiday run at Saunton Sands beach to see how I would enjoy interviewing for the new role of T&O CD? By then happily settled in life with my lovely supportive firefighter husband and two more children, I embraced the challenge which over time led to the role of Divisional Medical Director in planned care – one of five divisions at our Trust.
