Share review of Professor Zoe Winters

Professor Zoe Winters 2020-06-18 Person 5 5 0

Prof Zoe Winters: Service and clinical excellence. If you have ever been in a cancer clinic or about to attend one then you know how nervous and emotionally draining the process can be. But be rest assured if Prof Zoe Winters is who you are lucky enough to be assigned to. I do not want to talk about what I thought of her, because she’s an excellent, very qualified and experienced doctor. Rather what I want to do is share my experience, so readers can relate to what I felt on arrival and how I felt on departure and my experience during the stages, so people in my situation can know what to expect. As soon as I entered her office, I was met with a warm greeting and confident smile. I knew I was in safe hands. I was in the presence of someone who knew how I was feeling. The nervous feeling went away, which meant I could speak freely about what I felt the problem was. I was greeted with a big hello and smile “ tell me Kofi how can I help you today she said. I am here to listen, so we can map a way forwards. My notion of “ Safe hands” was reinforced. My apprehension was replaced with positivity. And hence I found myself smiling throughout the whole process. I felt incredibly safe. I found her very clinical approach from examination to diagnoses quite thorough. Not only was she looking at my genetic history from the information I had provided, but also other possible indicators and markers. She was writing down everything I was saying and she asked so many questions. Almost writing a chapter of my medical life of a book “Would it be be ok to examine you so we can have an idea of what is happening ?“ she asked. The physical examination was thorough. Again done with so much dignity and reassurance guiding me every step, in the was what she was doing. What she was looking for and why. I had some pain but her “vocal anaesthesia” was helpful, because she kept alerting me before applying any kind of pressure during the examination. Mentally signalling that there could be some pain. The third stage of her obvious comprehensive medical investigation led me to do my scans. “I strongly suspect something” she said to me. She explained what her suspicions were and backed it by the symptoms I was presenting, her experience and some literature. However let’s do some scans that will be investigated by the radiologist, this will give us a clearer honest picture. It will help us understand better. Then we can then find a way forward that will bring us the best outcome and care thereafter. “ If you just wait outside someone will call you shorty. All that sounded good to me. HOWEVER what made the big difference was her use of the words“ US” and “ WE” which suggested to me that I was not alone in whatever the findings were going to be. I could tell the tones of reassurance and good practice in her voice, again magnifying how safe and reassured I was feeling. Every step of the way she is reassuring me and letting me know I was in safe in what she was doing. How are you so positive and upbeat ? Are you like this all the time I asked her ? Yes she said, this is what I am trained to do. To help and assist in finding solutions to complex problems so we can keep learning and evolving everyday. Her experience and obvious in depth knowledge of the subject matter became rather clear and evident when the scans confirmed every thing she “ had suspected” earlier to the letter. Then came her explanation of the diagnoses and the medical reason for that diagnoses. At that point I already knew I was in good pair of hands and in the presence of an excellent medical doctor. Not only does she take you through treatment options but then performs a balancing exercise on why she has suggested the said approach, the pros and cons. Then she backs with some statistics and evidence to support why she has said that. As if that was not enough she said “ we will keep looking and checking from time to time to make sure nothing has changed so we do not miss anything. I left her office feeling safe. That probably explained why I had my lowest 3 blood pressure readings in years which happend to be after leaving a cancer clinic. Should have been the opposite. That was the result of her contribution that had had an effect on my experience. I do not know who will read this but I can assure them that if you have reason to see, speak, consult or to train under this remarkable woman then your life is changing for the better because you are not only in safe hands but also heading towards what will be a through and comprehensive medical investigation. She will not rest until a solution is found. In her own words again “ this is what I am trained to do Kofi. To search for answers through the practice of good medicine with the support of staff and technology’ and I will not rest until we have found a solution. I will do all the necessary paper work and make sure that you will get the best treatment possible, care and the follow up that will come with it. With that I said thank you left her office with her words ringing in my ears. So significant that I remembered enough to be able to quote her verbatim. I believe that I was in the presence of one of the most intelligent minds in the world. Good practice is not just the consultation and diagnostics process, but also how you made the patient feel. Most noticeable also was how she talked to her staff and the nurses who assist her: with so much respect and recognition. What she showed me was a combination of clinical and service excellence. She went beyond technology and expertise by addressing my unique needs and ensuring that she attended to me in a way that made me feel safe. Her approach was effective and efficient. I have 9 incredibly good doctors in my family so I can tell a good Dr when I see one. I can also tell high clinical standards and excellence when I witness one. Her interpersonal skills are incredible and her patient management is excellent. I await with to see her name flash up somewhere soon because it’s only a matter of time that she will a receive a global medical award for something outstanding or something close to that because I believe I was in the presence of a great medical mind. So my suspicions were right from the start. I was in safe hands and I left feeling better than I arrived. I believe that is what good medicine is all about. I will wait for however long it takes if that is what it will take to see her for my follow up. The wait will most certainly guarantee my safety and good treatment. You are an angel in the form of a doctor. Were my words to her as I left her office. And she said thank you and the nurse smiled. For anyone reading this if you find yourself in her care you are very lucky. Not only is she is a remarkably intelligent doctor but also she embodies the medical description of who and what a doctor should be. A real testament to the medical profession. KOFE