Donated money is spent on new equipment, facilities to make treatment more comfortable for both patients and carers and research into methods of managing and monitoring leukaemia and related blood diseases carried out at the hospital.
Dr Michelle Furtado appointed as ELF Clinical Fellow
Dr Michelle Furtado was appointed as the ELF Clinical Fellow in November 2006 succeeding Dr Dominic Pepperell who obtained a role with Wessex Region two months after his appointment to the new ELF Clinical Fellowship in September 2006.
In order to continue their support for the Haematology Centre, Exeter Leukaemia Fund agreed to fund a Clinical Fellowship which enabled the recruitment of an additional doctor in a role which combines both clinical medicine and research. The new role is essential to supporting the transition from Senior House Officer to Registrar.
Dr Michelle Furtado was born in Tooting Bec, London and completed her initial medical training at Bristol obtaining her MBChB. Six months in general medicine at the RD&E hospital followed by a further six months in general surgery at Bristol before two three month spells in Perth, Australia, initially in A&E and a further period in general medical before returning to the RD&E as a Senior House Officer in February 2004. SHOs rotate through the various specialties and Michelle really enjoyed the time she was in Haematology. Being appointed to the ELF Clinical Fellowship meant that she could continue in Haematology. She has already presented her research paper on “Consent for Chemotherapy Audits” to the South West Peninsular Haematology Group. Later in the year she will be presenting a paper “Quality Assurance of stem cell transplants and the possible use of lymphocyte measurement” at the National Conference of the British Society for Haematology at Bournemouth.
“The ELF Clinical Fellowship gives me the practical experience and theoretical knowledge to become a Haematology Specialist which is my goal” says Dr Furtado “I find the work really interesting with a mix of laboratory work and clinical work. There are a huge number of different lymphomas and leukaemias. As understanding blood is so important I become involved with other hospital specialties. I particularly like the fact that I see a lot of the patients and am able to build a rapport with them and their family, although it can be demanding at times.”
Commenting on the Haematology Centre Michelle said “It’s a great place to work, all the staff are so friendly and supportive and we have great nurses and secretarial staff which always makes life so much easier”.
Dr Furtado lives in Exeter with her Partner who is a Radiology Doctor working in the South West. In her very limited spare time she enjoys exploring Dartmoor and the Devon coast especially.
Asked about the very significant investment by ELF, Di Passey, Chair of the Exeter Leukaemia Fund said “ELF exists to support the work of the Haematology Centre and the Trustees did not hesitate when the Consultants approached us to fund this role. The fact that Dr Pepperell was able to move on after only two months and that Dr Furtado expects to move to a new role in August clearly demonstrates that the Haematology Centre is an excellent training ground.” Mrs Passey continued “Obviously we couldn’t continue to meet the needs of the Centre were it not for the wonderful support ELF enjoys throughout the very extensive catchment area across Devon and beyond. At ELF we can only provide the funds the fact that the Haematology Centre has been described as without doubt the best in Europe (Professor John Lilleyman, President of the Royal College of Pathology) during a visit just prior to the opening of the Haematology Centre by HRH Princess Royal in September 2003 and an extremely good facility, state of the art (Dr Mike Potter, Director of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Consultant Haematologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust during a visit in October last year is attribute to the staff of the Haematology Centre. We are very fortunate in Exeter”.
Release date: 1st March 2007
For more information contact ELF Office (01392 493344)