This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and death, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and addiction.

Kay explains that every six or 12 months, senior House Officers were moved to a different hospital to ensure a broad range of experience. As this often required relocating, he and H were limited to short-term apartment rentals. His second post also involved moving from a hospital where senior staff were supportive to one where SHOs were left to cope alone. The new hospital followed the philosophy of “see one, do one, teach one” (63).

Wednesday, 2 August 2006 - Wednesday, 27 September 2006

Kay started at St. Agatha’s on “Black Wednesday,” so named because patient death rates increased on the day that all junior doctors changed hospitals. A fortnight later, Kay was left in sole charge of the Early Pregnancy Unit clinic.

Kay’s shifts prevented him from collecting H’s birthday present from the Post Office. Finally reaching the collection office during opening hours, he discovered that the package had been returned to the sender.

Kay called in sick for the first time as he had food poisoning. After failing to pressure him to come to work, the registrar informed Kay that he must find someone to cover his shift.