Peterborough doctor heads to Africa to support critical care centre

A Peterborough City Hospital doctor will travel across the world to help at a new critical care centre in Africa

Dr Toby Hoskins, who works as a Registrar in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at Peterborough City Hospital, previously worked at the St Francis Hospital, in East Zambia, as a medical student 7 years ago and wanted to go back to put to use the skills and experience that he has achieved in that time.

Dr Hoskins is about to apply for his next stage in medical training and wanted to use the opportunity to spend 6 months in Zambia to lend his support following the launch St Francis’s Critical Care department.

He said: “The team at St Francis have a different way of doing things, so while I am really looking forward to be able to help them in whatever way that I can, it will also be a learning experience for me. The reason I became a doctor was to help people and opportunities such as this really do take you back to basics to help people in a very different environment. They recently opened a new Critical Care Unit, however there is quite a high mortality rate, so I am hoping to help with my knowledge with education on nursing and medical care.”

Dr Hoskins’ colleagues in the Anaesthetics Department at PCH have been really supportive with his plans and have fundraised £600 which will go towards the purchase of electronic equipment.

This will include laryngoscopes, which are used to intubate patients, paediatric anaesthetic tubes used for breathing and oxygen saturation probes, which keep an eye on a patients oxygen levels whilst anaesthetised.

Dr Kanchan Rege, Chief Medical Officer for North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City Hospital, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Dr Hoskins to share his invaluable skills and experience and use them to help and support the staff in St Francis Hospital. We wish him all the best and look forward to welcoming him back to the Trust soon.”