Community Practice Educator, Rachel Jackson, is preparing to swap Sowerby Bridge for the Caribbean - as she embarks on a three-month fellowship on the island of Montserrat later this month. Montserrat, which is often described as the "emerald isle" of the Caribbean, is only ten miles long and has a population less than half the size of Sowerby Bridge.
The placement, which runs from the end of February to the end of May, will see Rachel working on a quality improvement project while developing her leadership skills in a very different healthcare setting. A key focus of the fellowship will be delivering a quality improvement project from start to finish - something Rachel hopes will offer faster, tangible results than large-scale programmes.
Rachel said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something like this. On an island of 4,500 people I’m hoping that I can see some immediate improvements - and not rely too heavily on expensive technology, because they’ve got limited resources out there."
Rachel is also preparing for a cultural shift - not least the island’s more relaxed approach to time.
“I've heard that things happen on ‘Montserrat time’. I’m not used to not being full speed ahead - that will be a big change for me. From what I've heard, if it’s raining, you don’t rush anywhere!”
More than half of Montserrat is inaccessible due to a large exclusion zone around its active volcano. Rachel will be based on the island for the full duration, though there may be opportunities to explore the wider Caribbean during her stay.
“We’re out there for the full three months, but we do get a week of annual leave. So we have the opportunity to go to different islands in the Caribbean. We’re flying into Antigua, so we might be jet-setting to Saint Kitts, or doing a bit of island hopping while we’re there!”
And when it comes to home comforts, Rachel is planning to fully embrace the experience.
"I think I want to go and embrace the full experience of the Caribbean lifestyle - so no home comforts. I’m going to go fully in - on Montserrat time!”
Rachel will complete the fellowship alongside Lydia Robson, who is a Public Health Improvement Specialist at Leeds City Council.
We look forward to hearing more about Rachel's experiences when she returns.