Like many doctors who have a hidden disability, my first instinct was to manage it privately, to keep it separate from my professional life, to carry on as though nothing had changed. That approach worked for a while. And then it didn't.

The gap no one talks about

What I found, and what so many colleagues with disabilities have also found, is that the NHS as an employer is remarkably good at producing policy documents about disability inclusion, and remarkably inconsistent at implementing them. The policies exist. The awareness often doesn't.

I have heard first-hand accounts from disabled colleagues constantly battling rota teams just to get the adjustments they are legally entitled to. Colleagues who have had to justify the same accommodation request month after month, to different rota coordinators, with no institutional memory between them. Colleagues who didn't know what a reasonable adjustment was, let alone that they could ask for one.

This made me realise the serious gap in support, awareness, and interdepartmental communication for disabled doctors, and that gap needed to be filled.

What epilepsy means in practice

For me, the challenges were not abstract. Managing a seizure condition as a GP trainee in Shropshire meant practical, day-to-day negotiations that most of my colleagues never had to think about. Who was aware of my condition? What happened if I had a seizure during a shift? Was there a protocol? Had anyone spoken to my educational supervisor?

The answers, for a long time, were: not enough people, nothing clear, no, and no.

The requests I made, and what happened

I requested reasonable adjustments, adjustments I was legally entitled to. The process of getting them recognised and implemented varied enormously depending on who I was speaking to. Some supervisors and coordinators were immediately understanding and proactive.

What became clear is that the quality of support you receive as a disabled doctor depends heavily on the individual you happen to be dealing with, not on any consistent institutional process. That is not good enough.

What needs to change

Based on my experience and conversations with colleagues, I believe the following changes would make a meaningful difference to disabled doctors across the country.

Why I'm sharing this

I'm sharing this not to complain, and not to suggest that the NHS is uniquely broken, there are brilliant, supportive people at every level of the system. I'm sharing it because I know that there are doctors who are going through similar experiences right now, who don't know their rights, who feel alone, or who don't know where to start.

This website exists because of that gap. If reading this helps even one colleague feel less alone, or helps them find the support they're entitled to, then it was worth writing.

Your health and wellbeing are non-negotiable. Do not hesitate to seek support.