I am a GP Partner working in a family-orientated practice – Hillview Surgery, Ealing (UK) which is also a Training Practice. I graduated in 1995 with a degree in medicine at the University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School. My passion for medicine has helped me to remain a highly motivated, enthusiastic and dedicated General Practitioner.
My key attributes are communication, teamwork and professionalism. During the past twenty years, I had ample opportunities to develop my clinical interests, particularly in women’s problems and family planning, and non-clinical portfolio responsibilities including Health and Human Resources. My positive attitude and perseverance to empower my staff to work hard and succeed help towards sustaining the well-being of my team.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, I have been involved in a number of initiatives at the practice, including “Well-being of vulnerable adults”, “Holistic well-being of staff” and “Hillview Going Greener”. I have always been passionate about caring for people experiencing domestic abuse. Since the pandemic, I took particular interest in raising public awareness of the consequences of domestic abuse in accordance with ‘The NHS prevention strategy” and working towards introducing the routine screening of abuse, particularly in General Practice. I believe this will increase awareness and help identify and support the victims and perpetrators of abuse.
I contributed to an NHS e-survey study with the Imperial SCARU research team—translated into 18 languages and conducted across the UK—examining the WAST-Short domestic-abuse screening tool in primary care. Our groundbreaking pilot at HillviewSurgery was the first UK trial of this tool since the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating how proactive screening can reach survivors who may struggle to disclose their experiences. I hope our findings will help inform future NICE guidelines.
My goal is to implement simple practical steps that supports our professional and personal lives. Additionally, I believe in a learning culture to succeed in our society. In my journey, I hope to share my knowledge and experiences widely in the hope that humanity shares and learns from each other. That’s why I started this website.
~ Dr Vasumathy Sivarajasingam