Give an example from your work experience of a time you witnessed holistic care.

Whilst on placement on a stroke unit, I discovered why my neurology lecturers fell in love with the field. Having had the chance to see neuroplasticity in progress, I’m in awe of the complexity of the nervous system. I found that this stroke unit was a prime example of how efficiently a multidisciplinary team can work, with a barrage of assessments completed within hours of admission. But at the heart of this is the patient, their friends and family. The importance of this struck me with a patient whose family had fractured because his stroke and other stresses. At a time when this patient needed support the most, he felt alone. Through heartfelt family meetings, we were able to help the family understand the value of this patient’s support network in his recovery, and could then include the family in his rehabilitation to start rebuilding bridges, both in his relationships and in neuroplastic terms.