UHDB celebrates SAS Week 2024
We are proud to celebrate this year's annual SAS Week (14-18 October 2024) here at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB), which honours our Specialty and Specialist (SAS) doctors for the vital role they play in delivering exceptional patient care.
SAS doctors are a cornerstone of the NHS - providing consistent, high quality care as permanent members of clinical teams. They bring an extraordinary range of experience and skills to a range of disciplines and departments, and their impact is immeasurable.
Why we're celebrating SAS Week 2024
SAS Week 2024 is a national initiative spearheaded by NHS Employers, a national NHS organisation that supports workforce leaders and promotes best employment practice, to shine a spotlight on the essential role that SAS doctors play in healthcare - celebrating their unique contribution across our NHS.
SAS doctors are integral to healthcare, often filling critical roles while working behind the scenes. This week encourages everyone in healthcare professions to continually recognise and support the valuable work SAS doctors do every day as we deliver care to our patients and communities.
At UHDB, we have helped to lead the way in SAS support and in 2021 we became the first NHS trust in England to implement the SAS advocate role, a groundbreaking initiative to support the wellbeing and career development of our SAS workforce - ensuring that the voices of SAS doctors are heard, and that they have access to the resources they need to thrive in their careers.
Dr. Gauri Sankhe, one of our SAS doctors here at UHDB and the first SAS advocate, has recently her personal journey as an SAS advocate in a blog post for the BMA (British Medical Association), highlighting the importance of representation and the need for systemic support to empower SAS clinicians.
In her blog, Dr. Sankhe wrote that: “Advocacy is not just about addressing challenges; it’s about creating spaces where SAS doctors feel heard and valued. Representation matters because it fosters a sense of belonging and promotes equity within our clinical teams."
You can read the full blog post here >
Ms. Jothi Vasan-O’Leary, on behalf of UHDB’s SAS clinicians, reflected on this special awareness week, saying that it was an "amazing opportunity to recognise the contribution of the diverse workforce of clinicians who are a valued part of our NHS workforce."
She continued: "As a Trust, we have embarked on a Compassionate and Inclusive Leadership Programme. However, true allyship from the consultant workforce and wider teams is essential for our vision to come to fruition."
We invite all of our colleagues to join in this journey and celebrate SAS Week 2024 with us. You can also learn more about SAS Week at NHS Employers' SAS Week page >
SAS Week 2024 video at Royal Derby Hospital, UHDB — produced by NHS Employers
In celebration of SAS Week, NHS Employers recently visited Royal Derby Hospital to meet with some of our SAS doctors and colleagues.
The video captures discussions about the critical role of SAS doctors at UHDB and the ongoing efforts to support their development and wellbeing. We encourage you to watch the full video of the visit below.
Happy SAS Week 2024!