40 years in the NHS: making a difference in learning disability with Professor Ashok Roy OBE | Talking #TeamCWPT blog

As some of #TeamCWPT celebrate over 40 years in NHS, read about how they are all united in a common purpose: supporting the most vulnerable in society to have the opportunity to live the best life possible in this 3-part blog series.

In today's blog, find out more about Dr Ashok Roy, Consultant Psychiatrist for people with learning disabilities, and his work.

Ashok began his medical career after training in Christian Medical College, Vellore in South India. The college trained doctors many of whom would be working in missionary hospitals across India, in some of the most remote areas.

It was at this very early stage that Ashok discovered a health care ethos that really resonated with him. The missionary hospital, run by a council of churches, provided high quality care to all, regardless of an ability to pay for care. It was quite unusual, but a real eye opener in showing that best practice in care can be available to all.

Ashok went on to train in psychiatry but felt that his future didn't lie in India. While many of his colleagues travelled to North America, Ashok came to England in 1982 and discovered that the NHS "had the same underlying ethos I had discovered in India, of providing an equal standard of care to everyone regardless of the ability to pay, was here in the NHS. I had found my dream job."

Ashok carried on working in psychiatry before moving into the field of learning disability. He describes a project he carried out in the 1990s as one that changed the course of his career and focus. "We asked patients what they thought of our services. The overwhelming reply was that the services were boring. The only positive feedback was that patients came to meet up with friends. Nothing else that the services provided was viewed in a positive light.  When we asked patients what they thought of the team of staff supporting them, they replied that the staff weren't a team as they never spoke to each other. That really was damning feedback."

As difficult as that feedback was, it spurred Ashok to think about how care was provided for people with learning disabilities and how staff worked together to provide that care. Ashok viewed this time as a "very positive phase in learning disability care" and a "privilege" to be a part of some ground breaking work. Brooklands Hospital was being built, which enabled the NHS to think about how inpatient care could be improved. It was also a time where the focus was on moving people from institutional care into a community setting and ensuring that health improvements were a continuous theme.

Ashok became a leading expert on supporting people with learning disabilities who have behavioural problems, mental illnesses and autism. He chaired the Intellectual Disability Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which, in the wake of the Winterbourne View abuse scandal, was a challenging role. As the clinical advisor for learning disabilities and autism to NHS England Workforce, Training and Education (formerly Health Education England) he led the development of competency frameworks for learning disabilities and for autism.

Ashok describes co-chairing the Learning Disability Professional Senate as "like working in a national muti-disciplinary team. Multi-disciplinary working is the very best way to support those who need our care."

Working closely with patient groups and campaigning on behalf of those who are vulnerable and need a voice was a fundamental part of Ashok's career in the NHS. He dedicated a lot of time to working in partnership with patients, carers and communities to empower people with skills and opportunities for the future. "Seeing those we support successfully move into the community and live the best life possible is very satisfying."

Working as a Trustee for various charities and organisations, including the British Institute of Learning Disabilities and Autism West Midlands, enabled Ashok to continue to champion his vision for everyone to be treated equally and be able to live life as they choose.

Patients provide that grounding and inspiration for me and my work. Our patients just want what we all want in life. It is important to keep that at the forefront of our work and to keep working in partnership with patients and carers so that we continue to achieve that for those we care for. There is such great value in working collaboratively with patients, families and carers, because, in the end, we all want the same things and the same outcomes. That is truly humbling.

Thinking about his long and inspirational career, Ashok concluded:

This work has been a real privilege. It is so important not to lose your humanity. In the end, we are just people trying to help other people and it's your humanity that really matters. People will usually remember you for how you made them feel, that is actually 90% of what is asked of you. Supporting those we care for to move out of institutional, controlled settings, has been a real highlight for me. Working with truly amazing teams, working together to support the most vulnerable in society is immensely rewarding and is the reason we work for the NHS .