Neonatal Unit wins London School of Paediatrics award

The London School of Paediatrics recently published its Trainee Doctor End of Post Survey results, which show the neonatal unit at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, is rated as the best in London for training experience.

The neonatal unit won the Paediatric Awards for Training Achievements (PAFTAs) award for best training unit in London. The national PAFTAs are held in partnership with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and recognise the very best in paediatric training in the country.

Trainee doctors cited great learning opportunities and a supportive wider team as reasons for their high scores. One nomination for the neonatal unit read: “It’s a fantastic place to work and lots of other places could learn a lot from Evelina London in terms of team morale and culture.”

The results reflect feedback from trainee doctors between March and September 2022 across 30 London Trusts. Evelina London is one of the largest centres for paediatric training in London, and 84% of placements at Evelina London Children’s Hospital were rated as excellent or good, compared to an average of 78% across all Trusts in London.

Dr Karen Turnock, consultant neonatologist and clinical lead for the unit, said: “It is wonderful to have our entire multi-disciplinary team recognised in this way, as we know that, given the nature of the unit, it can be quite a challenging place for trainees to work. We are delighted that our teaching, training and well-being programmes are having a positive impact, and we look forward to supporting and inspiring more trainees in the future.”

Compared to other London placements, Evelina London also performed excellently on staffing levels for paediatric intensive care and community services, and for providing rest, food and drink for those working out of hours. As well receiving an award for our neonatal unit, trainee doctor placements in general paediatrics and renal were also highly rated.

Dr Sadaf Bhayat completed a placement on the neonatal unit at Evelina London last year. She said: “I did my ST8 (senior trainee post) on the neonatal unit. I really valued the ethos of teamwork which came across from everyone from consultants to nursing staff, to the cleaners and admin staff. There was support through difficult moments and it inspired us as trainees to do the same and support each other.

"The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Evelina London is the largest and busiest I have worked in, with complex cases on a regular basis. I was given the opportunity to step up as a consultant for a couple of weeks with really good support, which has really helped me transition to my role now as a consultant in another NICU. The friendships I have made at Evelina London will be lifelong.” 

Dr Ajanta Kamal, consultant paediatrician and Director of Medical Education at Evelina London, said:

“We are extremely pleased with the results from the London School of Paediatrics. They reflect a team effort from all departments and show the commitment that we have across the board to maintaining excellence in training. The areas we were rated highly on are known as some of the tougher aspects to achieve, and we will continually strive to improve in the areas highlighted.”