A “very humble” junior doctor who is credited with “always going the extra mile” for Walsall patients and colleagues alike has received a memorial award
Dr Nimai Desai has been given the Dr Steph Clarke Award set up in memory of the much-loved Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust junior doctor who died from a rare form of cancer in 2019. Foundation Year doctors now vote to award a prize to the most professional, supportive and patient-orientated FY2 to both recognise and commemorate Dr Clarke’s contribution to healthcare in Walsall.
Twenty nominations were received this year and Dr Desai’s accolade was announced by Dr Matthew Lewis, Medical Director at Walsall Healthcare’s QI Awards event.
The 27-year-old, who is currently working in General Practice and who has an interest in Cardiology at Walsall Manor Hospital said: “I am proud to have worked with an amazing team in very difficult times. This recognition is unexpected and the Qi Awards emphasises the excellent quality improvement that takes place at Walsall. It makes me proud and continues to be an inspiration.”
Colleagues made the following observations about this year’s worthy winner:
“He is very knowledgeable and handles emergencies well. He always goes the extra mile for his patients and colleagues, and is always a calm, level headed and supportive presence on the ward. He is always keen to discuss and learn from patient cases and reflects on how he could have improved care.”
“On and off the ward this doctor takes an interest in the wellbeing of others whether it be doctor colleagues or other hospital staff. He helped guide us massively as a group of FY1s when we were first starting out and genuinely went out of his way to check on our mental health.”
“He remains a very humble and quietly spoken person, always acting as the patient’s advocate and picking up details that might get missed on a busy ward round. He is an excellent colleague and remembers to see the humour in things yet even under pressure he will go the extra mile without mentioning it or causing a fuss.”
Mr Ashok Puligari, Training Programme Director FY2 Trainees, said: “Congratulations to Dr Desai who shares the same values, dedication and commitment that our late colleague Steph brought to our organisation.
“To receive 20 nominations is fantastic and we are extremely proud of the positive impact our junior doctors are making here.”
The three runners up were Dr Trish Ang, Dr Rosie Elsegood and Dr Wynn-Griffiths.
They were described as follows:
Dr Ang;
“She is a team player, she is kind and warm and treats her patients with the utmost respect. She has excellent communication skills and always strives to do her best. Above all, she is always a ray of sunshine to work with.’
Dr Elsegood;
She is a kind and conscientious doctor who can be relied upon to complete tasks, even without being asked. We were redeployed together and she was also always on hand to support as we dealt with emotionally challenging situations.’
Dr Wynn-Griffiths:
“Very keen to learn, improve and do good for patients, department and hospital. Has shown remarkable leadership qualities including having the leading role in organising social events during the last year. He has worked very hard to create a sense of community between FY1s and FY2s. He is also very supportive on the wards.”
Congratulations to the other nominees:
- Sita Techaboonanke
- Imogen Heaton
- Amy Berry
- James Roberts
- Elizabeth Bentley
- Imogen (Prasad) Jackson
- Sameen Sohail
- Anjali Kumar
- Laura Boyd
- Umer Nawaz
- James Downes
- Maria Ziopios
- Emily Pegg
- Nikita Kewani
- Amanpreet Kallu
- Taherah Khan