Senior leader reflections: Hanna Kaur

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust runs Good Hope, Heartlands, Queen Elizabeth and Solihull hospitals, the Birmingham Chest Clinic, and Solihull community services.

I grew up in Leeds and when I finished school, I went to do some volunteering in India with children in education. After 18 months, I returned to the UK to live near Glasgow, and that was when I decided that I wanted to be a nurse. I completed my studies at the University of Birmingham, and during that time carried out training at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Once qualified, I worked in critical care for a number of years in different units in the north and south, and then developed an interest in health promotion. This led to me working in occupational health both in the NHS and industry for four years.

Whilst in this role, I grew an interest in the disease Tuberculosis (TB), and since 2008 I have worked in this speciality. I worked in London for just under five years in TB, and in December 2012, I moved to Birmingham and started working at the Birmingham Chest Clinic.

I have now been working at the Birmingham Chest Clinic for over 10 years, where I am the lead nurse for TB. I love my job; every day is different and I really enjoy the way we work together as a team. Even though I might get overwhelmed at times, there’s always somebody there to help and we all support each other. On a day-to-day basis, we work with multi-agencies, such as local authorities, safeguarding teams and The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), to provide holistic care. I also hold a role at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) as the chair of the Public Health Forum, where I have taken forward a number of initiatives.

TB patients at the Chest Clinic will see a number of different healthcare professionals during their visit, including doctors, nurses and a pharmacist, as we hold family clinics and work closely as a multidisciplinary team. By delivering a ‘one-stop’ service at the clinic, patients can attend for their?investigations (which may include TB screenings, BCG vaccinations or X-rays), see their doctor and/or nurse, and pick up their medicines, all in one visit. Here at the Birmingham Chest Clinic, we provide the only TB service across Birmingham and Solihull, covering all of the hospitals, the community of Birmingham and Solihull, and also the prisons. Wherever there is a TB case, we get notified so we can report to UKHSA, which is a legal requirement.

There is still definitely a stigma attached to TB and people often have false perceptions that it is incurable and is highly contagious throughout treatment, when this is not the case. There is also sometimes a misunderstanding about how it is transmitted. Reducing this stigma is essential, as it hinders treatment compliance and negatively impacts on TB treatment outcomes. It can also lead to the unfair treatment of people with TB, as sometimes patients become homeless or even lose their jobs, and as a result, they become isolated within their communities. We do deliver TB awareness to health professionals, charities and the public, to steer them away from the stigma.

As a nurse leader, I really value my teams’ views and we all engage with one another when making decisions. When I worked in London, whenever I would send my manager an email, she used to just come and find me and talk to me in person, and that is something that I have carried forward into my leadership role. Rather than replying to an email, I will often go and speak to my team members face-to-face, as I believe it’s a better way to connect with your team and sometimes conversations can get misinterpreted online.

My advice to other leaders would be to ensure that you work together with everyone in your team, to enable you to provide the best service that you can to your patients. Communication is key and it’s so important to listen; you might have ideas yourself but by listening to others, you become a stronger team and great ideas are shared.?

To see all our current jobs vacancies, visit: