What is your education/career background in haematology?
I am a haematology trainee within the North Central London deanery. I am currently undertaking an out-of-programme fellowship in Haemostasis and Thrombosis at the Royal Free Hospital and I have one year of training left prior to CCT.
What was your Crucible session presentation about?
The question set by this year’s Crucible Prize was on the theme of ageing and how haematology can adapt its practice for an ageing population. I felt this was an important and timely topic. Many haematological conditions are increasingly managed as chronic, relapsing–remitting illnesses, with growing numbers of treatment options and lines of therapy. But knowing when a treatment will be less burdensome than the disease itself isn’t always straightforward. We need models of care that support quality of life and minimise hospital visits. I wanted to approach the question from a different angle and chose to focus on lessons we can learn from the opposite end of life’s spectrum—paediatrics and neonatology.
What inspired the content of your presentation?
The inspiration for the talk came during a rotation in paediatric haematology at Great Ormond Street. Having trained almost entirely in adult medicine until then, I was struck by the cultural and practical differences in paediatrics—the holistic, patient-centred approach; the degree of family involvement; and the investment in community care infrastructure that makes home-based phlebotomy and outpatient antibiotic therapy routine. It made me reflect on how, in adult services, we often default to rigid processes or hospital-based care, even when they may not be in the patient’s best interest—or the budget’s. These defaults can inadvertently create more burden for patients and families, while consuming resources that could be used more effectively elsewhere.
It led me to wonder whether some of the underlying mindsets in paediatrics—thinking creatively within the system, tailoring decisions to the individual rather than the protocol, and recognising that chronological and biological age are not the same—might also help us care more wisely for older adults. Many treatment decisions in older patients require us to weigh quality of life against duration of response, yet the evidence base often excludes the very populations we’re treating. In that context, adapting trial data and making nuanced, patient-specific decisions becomes essential.
I structured the talk around five lessons that adult haematology might take from paediatrics: a mindset of considered individualisation; judicious testing to reduce harm; real investment in community care to minimise hospital visits; active inclusion of families in decision-making; and, importantly, recognising when less is more.
These principles aren't new, but I believe they’re worth revisiting in the context of an ageing population. If we’re to meet the needs of our patients without overreach or exhaustion, we need to re-think not only what we offer, but how we decide—and for whom.
What does winning this award mean to you?
I'm really grateful. I remember watching the Crucible lectures at BSH last year and finding them thought-provoking. I’d never seen myself as someone who was good at public speaking, yet I really enjoyed the process of preparing this lecture. I’m especially thankful to the consultant who encouraged me to submit an abstract—it made all the difference.
What would your advice be for someone wanting to choose haematology as their specialism?
Talk to people—not just trainees, but consultants too, as that’s the role you’ll be stepping into. Go to the BSH education days for IMTs and get a feel for the breadth of the specialty. Haematology has many niches, and it’s worth exploring them early.
I first encountered haematology by chance during core medical training. Pathology-based specialties hadn’t featured much in my undergraduate or foundation years, but I found myself really enjoying the rotation. I had supportive consultants who encouraged me to apply, and what’s kept me engaged since is the variety—the mix of direct patient care, multidisciplinary liaison, and lab-based work is fairly unique among medical specialties.
What do you plan to do next in your haematology career?
I’ll be completing my CCT next year and plan to undertake a post-CCT fellowship abroad. Living and working in another country is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m keen to learn from a different medical culture and healthcare system. I have a strong interest in haemostasis and thrombosis and hope to deepen my expertise in this area. I also really enjoyed my paediatric rotation and would value the opportunity to expand that experience further.