"We aren't just caring for our patients, we have to care for ourselves too." - Dr Ranj Singh (pictured) on the importance of self care.

TV doctor highlights personal impact of COVID on caring professions.

Medical doctor and TV presenter Dr Ranj Singh kicked off the final day of BSAVA Congress 2021 with an uplifting keynote speech on the lessons that he has learned from the pandemic and how these may be applicable to the veterinary profession.

Dr Singh began by discussing how the events of the last year have driven innovation in the NHS. The profession had to rapidly change its priorities and the way it worked in order to keep staff and patients as safe as possible.

“It was amazing [to see] what can be achieved when the pressure is on and that pressure, I think, drove a lot of innovation within healthcare and within the NHS and I'm sure it has within your practices as well.”

Dr Singh also spoke about the personal impact that the pandemic has had on all of us. Many of us have had to adapt the way we work, as well as juggle families, careers and our personal wellbeing. The mental health fallout from this difficult time is something that Dr Singh feels we as a country will be dealing with for a long time to come.

Although the pandemic presented many challenges and had a huge personal impact on all of us, Dr Singh believes that it has also imparted many important lessons.

The significance of taking care of our mental wellbeing has been discussed more than ever across the past year and many of us are realising the importance of social interaction, as well as physical exercise and time outdoors.

The adoption of new technologies has also improved accessibility for everyone, whether that be with home learning or access to services. Finally, NHS and veterinary workers have had to learn to work flexibly and embrace new ways of working even in the face of uncertainty. Dr Singh called this working method: “JFDI - Just flipping do it!”

Dr Singh concluded his keynote by urging delegates to consider how we can learn from the pandemic moving forward: “As much as the last year or so has been a difficult experience in so many ways...there have been huge lessons that have been learned and there are definitely some positives which we can take forward. Especially when it comes to looking after ourselves and our patients.”

Image (c) BSAVA.