New clinical director aims to prioritise training at Dr Gray’s Hospital

NHS Grampian has appointed Professor Duff Bruce as the new Clinical Director for Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin as part of the health board’s Moray portfolio.

The health board’s portfolios help community-based and hospital-based services work more closely together. They focus on staff empowerment and adaptability of services in order to deliver person-centred care, rather than a more traditional hierarchy.

Duff has led the surgery and theatres unit at Dr Gray’s for a number of years. The new role means he will be supporting all clinical teams across the hospital as well as helping colleagues to interact with community services and specialisms across NHS Grampian.

Duff, who is originally from Aberdeen, says the leadership role brings with it a personal aim for him to achieve something meaningful for his local community in Moray.

He explains: “Working at Dr Gray’s feels more like you’re part of a family than an organisation. Delivering health and care in a largely rural area is not without its challenges but I’ve lived in Moray for a long time and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to develop our workforce and build on the strong relationships we have.

“We already have strong links with health and social care partnerships and universities, for example, and this role will build on that as well as helping teams within the hospital to focus on the health journey our patients go through, from home to home, and how they can help better that journey.”

Duff originally trained at the University of Aberdeen where he became a surgical trainee, then spent time working in Australia before returning to Scotland to complete his surgical training as a registrar in Inverness. He specialises in surgery of the stomach and esophagus and has an interest in treating reflux and swallowing problems. He also trained in weight loss surgery in Los Angeles and helped weight loss surgery pioneer Jack Miller from Dr Gray’s Hospital set up the Bariatric Surgery Service at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

He is passionate about modernisation and is pleased to have played a part in the successful bid for the development of MRI services at Dr Gray’s. He is also and will continue to be NHS Grampian’s clinical lead for the development of a National Treatment Centre in the area.

Duff sees the opportunity to build ‘networked’ health teams between Inverness, Elgin and Aberdeen as a model that has huge potential. He says: “We have a geographical opportunity to deliver something innovative. The teams are close anyway, we have lots of university and training crossover and many of the team members already have experience of working in the different locations. There are benefits for all of us if we can work more closely together; we have different strengths so we can all support each other and I’m really hoping new areas of joint working will develop.”

The experienced surgeon also places a great deal of value in prioritising training for those just starting out in their careers.

“Dr Gray’s Hospital has a strong heritage for training and I’m keen to prioritise that. We have relatively short careers and it’s essential we keep training the next generation of health professionals.

“It’s so revitalising to work with trainees – they keep you on your toes with questions and I really enjoy it. In Elgin we not only have strong links with the University of Aberdeen, RGU and Nescol but the University of the Highlands and Islands and Moray College. This presents a great opportunity for us to do more to develop the multi-professional workforce across the North of Scotland and support research focused on enhancing remote and rural health,” he adds.

Simon Bokor-Ingram, who is chief officer for Moray Health and Social Care Partnership and the Moray portfolio lead, comments: “We are really pleased to be retaining Duff’s experience, enthusiasm and skillset in Moray through this important role. We’ve had some really good feedback on what the local community would like to see as part of the strategic plan for Dr Gray’s Hospital and we are listening.

“Duff’s role will help to build really critical links, raise the profile of potential training opportunities in Elgin and to deliver on ambitious aspirations for remote and rural healthcare as part of a wider, evolving health and care system.”  

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Want to find out more about community health and social care and hospital services in Moray? Check out the latest copy of Moray Health and Care News: www.nhsgrampian.org/drgraysnews