SIC’s Career Spotlights: Dr. Hannah Barham-Brown
Dr. Hannah Barham Brown is a trainee GP, a council member of the British Medical Association, and a deputy leader of the Women’s Equality Party. She’s an ambassador for a plethora of charitable causes, and regularly travels around the UK giving talks about disability and diversity.
A photo of Dr. Hannah Barham-Brown. She is a white woman with auburn hair in a wheelchair, who is smiling at the camera. She’s in an emerald green, floor-length dress, with a green bag under her legs. A large sandstone building is in the background.
What motivated you to enter your field of work?
I started in the NHS before I became disabled - I’d done a degree in Combined Arts (English and Theology with Arabic), wasn’t sure what to do next, then spent a lot of time in hospital with my younger siblings and was so impressed by the work of all the staff there, I realised that healthcare was for me - so I trained as a Paediatric Nurse, and then got into Medical School. Now I am soon to qualify as a GP, and I also work in politics. I see the inequalities that are baked into our society every day both personally and professionally, and I want to do all I can to tackle them!
How do you think being disabled has changed your approach to how you do your job?
I think I understand a lot more about what my disabled patients and their families go through, and I know that they see me as someone who clearly ‘gets it’! I’m also very comfortable ‘calling out’ problems in services - if my being ‘difficult’ makes things better for other disabled people, I have no problem being unpopular in some quarters for that!
What is your career advice for those who aspire to do a similar role?
Do it - but be prepared to be open about your needs, and to working with organisations to find ways around the challenges you face, because sadly, the challenges are somewhat inevitable. Communication is key!
Did you experience any set-backs when you started working, due to your disability? How did you overcome them?
So many - it felt like I was quite literally re-inventing the wheel! I didn’t know working part-time was an option for junior doctors, so tried full time, and broke myself. I didn’t know about Reasonable Adjustments and so had to work out the problems as they arose. I wish I’d sat down with someone before I started and outlined my needs and the ways they could support me. It was a big learning curve in terms of self-advocacy, but I quickly realised that it wasn’t just for me, but for my patients - getting what I needed made me the doctor they deserved!
Are there any specific projects you are particularly proud of?
I’m incredibly proud of my awareness raising around wheelchair provision, and particularly the issues disabled people face accessing basic services such as cervical screening and sexual health services.
How would you improve the current state of your industry?
There are SO many things I would do to improve the NHS - funding, staffing, thinking about WHO makes the big decisions regarding it - I’m sorry, but most politicians are not experienced enough to understand the challenges we face. Increasing workforce diversity is a big one, so decisions are made in a truly intersectional way… There’s so much to do, can someone put me in charge already?!