Leadership - Dr Deepak Ravindran

Award Winning Pain and Lifestyle Medicine NHS Consultant-Director | Consultant Pain Medicine – Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | Head of Integrative Pain Care – Synthesis Clinic | Director Pain and Lifestyle Medicine – Pembroke Surgery Reading | Senior Visiting Fellow, School of Pharmacy – University of Reading | Honorary Professor – Teeside University

Coaching & Leadership with Prof. Deepak

Some doctors do naturally transition to become good leaders. It is often assumed when a medical doctor and becomes a consultant, they naturally become good leaders. However, the NHS of today and in healthcare in general, it is not enough anymore to know only the clinical aspects of case management.

Healthcare is also a business

Many decisions we leaders in healthcare are made based on a funding and effectiveness criteria. It then becomes very important for health care to be provided at the highest quality for the best value. Value-based healthcare is becoming very popular across the world. Healthcare is often thought to be unsustainable with the present model of treatment.

My experience in leadership has given me the understanding that collaboration and networking with empathy are key to building a successful team department.

I have trained and received an Honours Degree in Applied Management from Henley Business School. Understanding the difference between management and leadership has allowed me to refine and be clearer about my leadership approach and fundamentally seek to do the right thing and set a vision for myself and for my team that aligned with my organisations objectives as well.

The ability to be emotionally intelligent and maintaining a sense of curiosity and growth mindset help me to improve my communication skills very quickly.

Management is doing things right; but leadership is doing the right things..."

Leadership in practice

Supporting and develop my team through the pandemic
Building and successfully pitch business cases for more staff and digital
Provide the perfect elevator pitch for “The Pain Free Mindset” published by Vermillion – Imprint of Penguin.
Lobbying the House of Lords for the establishment of clinics dedicated to the care of Longcovid patients. This was successful with the release of £10 million for setting up such clinics in November 2020.
Networked with various stakeholders in my organisation and local county. I have led on the establishment of the Berkshire Longcovid Integrated Service (BLIS) with both clinical and operational elements in place within four weeks of the national announcement in December 2020.
Actively continued to be in research, and part of the local research network, with more than £100,000 of funding secured for a variety of clinical studies.

Awards and recognition

SOUTH EAST REGIONAL AWARD OF EXCELLENCE 2020

My supervisors at my Business School recognised the work around Longcovid and Pandemic recovery and nominated me for the Award of Excellence with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and I was awarded the SE Regional Apprentice of the Year 2020.

NATIONAL APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR 2021

I was then shortlisted and was awarded the National Apprentice in November 2021. Suffice to say that this was an epitome of achievement for me personally, to be recognised and honoured thus out of a strong national field of over 30,000 apprentices.

Read more: RDG.Today Article

This model of apprenticeship exposed me to the theory of modern management and leadership, and also to apply it contemporaneously within my workplace. There was incredible support from my colleagues at my workplace to implement my learnings. My batchmates from the university ensured that these last 3 years, while being tough, were also the most fun learning experience I have had since medical school. It has given me the joy of lifelong learning, reading and critical appraisal, not just of the scientific literature in my sphere of specialisation, but also in other industries and broadly understanding our social and planetary impact as well.

HIGHLY COMMENDED – THE SPEAKER AWARDS 2024

I had been nominated for the Positive Impact & Sustainability award as well as the 2024 Newcomer of the Year award at The Speakers Awards 2024 which was held in London in July.

I was delighted to receive Highly Commended for both awards.