I am a Speech and Language Therapist working at Addenbrooke’s Hospital; currently covering the inpatient adult acute wards and running the outpatient neuro-oncology service. Having previously worked at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, St Thomas’ Hospital in London and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore I have been lucky to work across multiple areas of specialty including neurology, respiratory, spinal injuries, stroke, critical care, geriatric medicine and community.
When joining Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) in June 2024, I very quickly heard about Cambridgeshire Global Health Partnerships and thought how much I would love the opportunity to explore global health work at some point in my career. I have previously volunteered in Thailand, teaching young children English but have never had the opportunity to experience healthcare work in other countries…until now! In December 2024, I received an email asking for expressions of interests for a trip to India with the RAMA Foundation to support healthcare in vulnerable communities and now I’m here, writing this blog and preparing for our departure in 6 weeks!
The RAMA Foundation has never had a Speech and Language Therapist travel with them before, so this is an exciting first all round. My aim for this trip is to learn and understand what Speech and Language Therapy looks like as a profession across various healthcare settings in Dehradun and Rishikesh, India. With this knowledge, I hope to establish a connection between the SLT department at CUH and the Speech and Language Therapists in Rishikesh to allow for two-way sharing of clinical knowledge, practice and experiences, not only to promote the role of SLT but to support the progression and development of this essential profession within India.
I am extremely grateful to be given this opportunity and excited to see how this trip shapes me both personally and professionally. I look forward to sharing my experiences with my SLT colleagues, friends and family on my return and cannot wait to make the most of this opportunity of a lifetime!
Jenna is joining an amazing team of self funded Rama Foundation volunteers going to India in August 2025. You can support them here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/cghpindia?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL