Connie Beauchamp

For Underneath the Scrubs this time, I’m taking a multi disciplinary team approach and putting the spotlight on Holby ED’s ACP Faith.  Name: Faith Cadogan Job Title: Advanced Clinical Practitioner  Favourite Book: The Time Traveler’s Wife Favourite Cocktail: Cosmopolitan  Favourite Person: Audrey Hepburn Favourite Junk Food: Frickles Favourite Song: Your Song - Elton John Favourite Movie: The Devil Wears Pravda Favourite TV Show: Men Behaving Badly Number 1 on my speed dial: Lev (still? - information may have changed since the time of this interview) Colour of my Favourite Pyjamas: Blue and white stripes I Couldn’t Live Without: My kids On my day off I set my alarm for: I have 3 wee children, I don’t need an alarm. I have one more of these left to run, and then I’ll be looking for a new series to run, possibly involving guest bloggers.  Let me know if you’d like to be involved.

I’ve been dragging my Louboutin heels somewhat on this post, as in many ways it felt incredibly personal.  I know that might sound strange given some of the topics I’ve already covered, but the 90s were quite a significant part of my life, and somehow the clothes I wore really told the story of that period.  But, I said I would write it, and so now I feel obligated to do so. Deep breath.  Big girl pants.  Here we go. It’s safe to say that the arrival of the 90s did not see me dressed in quite the same manner that you do today.  I spoke to Arianne Cornell about this, and she maintains that for the first two years of Med School I wore nothing but tie dye dungarees, baggy jeans and a whole array of cheesecloth dresses.  I deny all knowledge of this, but maybe I’ve just blocked it out.  Once we hit the clinical years we had to make a bit more effort, and I vividly remember going shopping with Ari for our clothes for placement.  Money was no object for...

Whilst I’m working on the upcoming piece that will be humiliation by bad 90s fashion choices, here’s another of my Underneath the Scrubs interviews.  This time delving into the life of Sahira Shah. Name: Sahira Shah Job Title: Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery/Clinical Lead of Darwin Ward.  Favourite Book: The Help by Katherine Stockett or Open Hearts by Kate Bull  Favourite Cocktail: Mojitos (obviously!) Favourite Person: Can I have two? My boys - my sons; Abs and Indy. Favourite Junk Food: Biriyani Curry or Moroccan churros and chocolate sauce Favourite Song: Pretty much anything from the 80's pop/dance era for me. Although I love a bit of ABBA and Whitney too! Favourite Movie: Pretty Woman (such a classic!) Favourite TV Show: Desperate Housewives  Number 1 on my speed dial: @SardonicBlake (home bestie) or Nurse Donna Jackson (work bestie)  Colour of my Favourite Pyjamas: My dark purple silk pyjamas (my boys got for me for Mother's Day a couple of years ago!)...

Those of you on Twitter might have noticed that I’ve been - ahem - actively campaigning to take Grace and Sam on a little jaunt to India.  I’m not sure I’m getting very far, as his Highness is still making regular references to Florida and the Maldives, but I really think that with Grace’s new found interest in medicine, a trip to India would be a worthwhile experience for us all. My last trip out was in 2019, and the medical aspect then was completely unplanned.  I’d been receiving medical treatment, and although discharged by my clinic, still didn’t feel quite ready to return to the ED (the background to this is long and detailed, but if you need to know, you know).  So, quite on a whim, I booked myself on a yoga retreat in Kerala in South India.  Well, the Malabar coast was beautiful, and the scenery was to die for, however it took me all of two and a half days of yoga to discover that I am not the sedentary type.  I was bored out of my mind, and no attempts ...

This time on Underneath the Scrubs (definitely been watching too much trashy American TV because I totally typed that with an over dramatic American accent), it’s my Grasshopper and fellow Snow Queen, Jac Naylor.  Name: Jac Naylor Job Title: Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Favourite Book: Don’t Look Behind You Favourite Cocktail: Espresso Martini Favourite Person: My daughter, Emma  Favourite Junk Food: Pizza Favourite Song: November Rain Favourite Movie: The Holiday Favourite TV Show: Silent Witness Number 1 on my speed dial: Currently Clayton Colour of my Favourite Pyjamas: Green I Couldn’t Live Without: My daughter and stethoscope  On my day off I set my alarm for: 8am A big thank you to Jac for contributing.  More of these to follow over the coming weeks, so what this space.

As I emerge into the real world after time in quarantine, I thought it might be fun (?) to pick out my 5 favourite moments of the last 10 days.  I was going to attempt 10, but it’s been bearable more than good and I wasn’t sure I would manage it. 1. Spending time with Grace The obvious advantage of enforced isolation has been getting to spend quality time with Grace without any risk of interruption for the first time in forever.  We’ve watched movies, chatted, looked through old photos, and got to know each other again. It’s been truly wonderful.  2. Sam’s Manhattans These should definitely have been called Quarantinis, and come highly recommended.   Method as follows: - Add 2oz of Bourbon, 1oz Sweet Vermouth, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, 1 dash of Orange bitters to a mixing glass with ice, stir until well chilled and then strain into a chilled coupe and top with a brandied cherry.   I don’t know how Sam makes his brandied cherries and he refuses to tell me bu...