People Story | Dr Rory Kidd | GP with Extended Role (GPwER)
Dr Rory Kidd, GP with special interest in Dermatology, DMC Healthcare, talks about his 24 year long career as a GP and how working at DMC has expanded his dermatology knowledge and helped him have a more satisfying week at work.
"DMC has been very supportive and offered superb flexibility"
“I always knew I wanted to be a doctor”
I liked science and microbiology at school and it went from there. I was an undergraduate in London at Guys and St Thomas’s Hospital and I carried out GP training in Lancaster Royal Infirmary. I started working as a GP in 1998, later moving to Southport and Ormskirk hospitals.
“I have a special interest in dermatology”
When I was training as a GP, I applied for a clinical assistant post in dermatology at Rochdale Infirmary. I gained a post graduate diploma in this subject from the University of Wales Medical School in 2002.
“I have worked in an NHS dermatology unit for 15 years”
I am particularly interested in the diagnosis of skin cancer and it’s something I’ve managed to pursue, carrying out minor surgical procedures. I currently work three days per week in an NHS practice.
"I started working with DMC Healthcare in 2019"
On the strength of our previous working relationship, a doctor who already works for DMC encouraged me to apply. Here I provide dermatology appointments and minor surgical procedures in the community, initially in Southport and then Sefton. It’s a speciality and transferrable skill I have taken back to my GP role and it’s allowed me to be a better GP. I have a special interest in dermoscopy which you can use in general practice to help with diagnosis and correct referral pathways.
"Waiting lists are challenging"
Currently I work in the dermatology centre in Warrington, one session per week. There is a big backlog of patients waiting for treatment and a huge number of follow up patients.
“DMC offers excellent flexibility”
The fact DMC has allowed me to be flexible with my working arrangements is a tremendous plus. They have allowed me to do extra sessions when I have the time and have been really supportive, sorting out any problems, such as IT.
“DMC offers a good support network”
They’ve allowed me to fit my dermatology interest in with my GP role. If I’d have worked in the hospital, that wouldn’t have been possible.
Working in a dermatology centre has allowed me to expand my range of skills and experience. We’ve identified some serious skin problems and people’s lives have been helped through my work in DMC.
“My advice to others is to go for it”
There are good opportunities at DMC and it’s a rewarding job.
“DMC has helped me improve my skills and develop”
I’ve learnt a lot from DMC and it’s helped me have a more satisfying week at work. The problem with being a GP is the work is relentless and it wears you down. DMC has allowed me to develop myself.
"DMC is a very supportive organisation. They have allowed me to be flexible with my working arrangements and do extra sessions when I have the time. Working at Bridgewater has allowed me to look at the full range of dermatology patients enabling me to expand my range of experience.”
