Dr Rebecca Brady, medical director at HCML and practising GP, speaks to Health & Protection about balancing her work as a GP with her role at HCML, supporting a patient who had not left the house for years to attend a face-to-face appointment, overcoming self doubt, and learning the importance of looking after oneself in order to be able to help others.
How did you get your start in the sector?
I’ve been a GP for eight years, but post-Covid I was looking for an opportunity to diversify away from general practice and get involved in something new.
A colleague and mentor of mine suggested I apply for the role of medical director at HCML. He knew about my interest in holistic medicine, background in psychiatry and biopsychosocial approach to treating my patients and saw the fit.
Due to their work in rehabilitation and care management I knew HCML was an organisation I wanted to be part of.
It was a leap of faith – for me and for them. But my transferable skills from my experience in the NHS and healthcare sector have been invaluable.
I have enjoyed the various challenges that this job has already brought me, including the provision of clinical leadership across the specialist medical divisions, and being responsible for defining a vision of quality improvement within the organisation.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
The variety – no two days are the same.
I still work as a practising GP as it is important to me to stay connected to my patients who teach me so much.
Being a GP means I am used to uncertainty and no day being the same. But through my role as medical director, I get to be involved in a number of projects and initiatives.
Most recently, these have included developing a wellbeing strategy for the business and spearheading our wellbeing programme at HCML, which is the first of its kind.
We’ve also implemented a menopause policy, made digital triage improvements and further developed our clinical governance and safeguarding through a dedicated performance and quality management team.
In addition to this, my day-to-day work involves providing clinical advice and support to our dedicated teams, alongside opportunities to provide tailored education to internal staff and external organisations.
Who is your role model – in life or in work?
There are many people in my life who have shaped and guided me along the way, to where I am now. But I must keep this one close to home.
My husband of 15 years has always been there for me through career changes, life events, and his calm, considered approach to life has taught me a lot.
Despite us working in different fields, his knowledge and experience of leading teams and holding senior leadership roles has been of great benefit to me entering this role. I always believe that you can’t succeed in life without having a great team behind you, and for me, that is my family.
Who has been your most important mentor in your career so far and why?
I am lucky to have worked with many individuals who have helped guide and shape my career to where it is now.
However, when I was having a lot of self-doubt, my final GP trainer helped me through a pivotal stage in my medical career, understanding when I needed to balance the needs of my family and my career, and take a less-than-full time position for a while.
He taught me the importance of looking after myself in order to be able to help others, and that was probably the first step on my journey to practising truly holistic medicine.
Through his guidance, I understood better how lived experience of being a mum and a wife was more important training for being a good GP than all the textbooks in the world.
Learning about patients’ stories and what needs they have as individuals living their unique life, is the essence of what I do in both my jobs today, so I am grateful for that early insight.
What advice would you give to people thinking about a career in the sector?
This is a sector where you can really make a difference to people’s lives, and I love that. For those who want to make an impact, go for it.
I didn’t know what this job would be like when I joined, but I am really enjoying the challenge and the experience it is giving me.
As health professionals, we often continue down the usual career pathways and get comfortable.
What I didn’t realise however, was the transferable skills I have learnt along the way, such as compassion, communication, approachability, alongside all my clinical knowledge. I can now use these in a completely different environment, to challenge myself, and others, but bring diversity of thought to the table.
Our teams are like the ultimate MDT: experts knowledgeable in their fields coming together to share ideas for the benefit of clients.
What has been your biggest setback and how did you overcome it?
Everyone experiences challenges in life, and I am no different. Whether that has been juggling work and home life or passing professional qualification exams – I have been through the stresses and strains of all this.
I would say that the pandemic was a pivotal moment in my life for various reasons –professionally – the strain placed on the NHS through this time, made me re-evaluate and fast-track a desire to diversify my career for the sake of my own wellbeing.
And personally – at the same time, a family member became seriously ill, and I had to take some time to engage in a period of self-discovery, becoming a more resilient person along the way.
But I came out of that period a stronger, more resilient person and I vowed to myself that I would try hard to effect change and improvement for others in terms of their wellbeing.
Laugh or cry – what did your most memorable client or case make you want to do and why?
As a GP I am in the privileged position to be allowed to be really inquisitive about peoples’ lives.
When people find themselves unwell with their mental health, invariably there is never a straightforward reason why.
I recently met a man for the first time who hadn’t left the house for years due to agoraphobia and severe anxiety and paranoia.
As the mental health lead in my GP surgery, I initially made contact with him through his wife who was worried about him, and after establishing a rapport over a few weeks and several telephone calls, we agreed that he would come to the surgery for a face-to-face consultation.
It took a lot for him to attend but we ended up setting some goals that were meaningful for him. It made me reflect on the importance of time and perseverance to meet patients in the middle.
I bet there are many more people like this man, who are struggling with their mental health behind closed doors, and everyone has a role to play in helping them to achieve their goals. Our case managers at HCML do an excellent job of that.
What’s your ultimate goal for your career?
I want to continue my development as a medical director. We’ve come so far in the last 12 months as a business and there is so much more to come. The on the job learning curve has been steep, but I am loving the role and learning a lot about myself in the process.
Future professional goals include training in occupational medicine to support the corporate health arm of our group. And expanding the wellbeing offerings to the NHS and more corporates.
But the sky is the limit as far as I’m concerned and in my 40th year this year, I am looking forward to the future.
How would your boss describe you?
Optimistic, passionate about wellbeing, dedicated, thoughtful and a blue-sky thinker – I hope. And definitely self-motivated. I am a woman on a mission.
What’s your biggest talent away from work?
I don’t know whether it’s a talent, but my children say I’m a good cook. Cooking is my greatest de-stressor outside of work. I also love teaching my children how to cook, as it’s never too early to learn a few recipes – plus it’s such a great way to spend quality time with them at the weekend.
What mantra do you live by?
The aspect that I have been most excited (and proud) about since joining HCML is the idea that I could have a direct impact on the staff, and how we can support the wellbeing of HCML’s employees.
My mantra is ‘our people are our greatest asset’, so investment in their health and wellbeing is imperative. And to date, the engagement with staff on their personal needs, particularly in the post-Covid and flexible-working era, has been very positive.
Given the demographic spread of our workforce, I have been able to initiate a wellbeing strategy focusing on issues such as gender diversity, menopause and how to support our home and office workers, to name a few.
I am surrounded by passionate, dedicated professionals, who take their jobs very seriously to provide the best rehab care for our clients, and I’m really proud to be associated with them. These jobs are emotionally pressured so attention to mental and emotional wellbeing is of paramount importance.
What song would you regard as your theme tune?
I don’t know if you could call it a theme tune, but the song I always turn up loud in the kitchen and know all the words to is Never Forget by Take That – an absolute classic from my teens. Who doesn’t love that song?
And I suppose its message is useful – using your past experiences to shape your future and that’s something I take with me.