Catching up Trust

1. Catching up Trust Jaroslav Stark, MUDr, FRCS, FACC, FACS Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK

2. This contribution is an attempt attempt to present a personal experience of my emigration to the UK. I will also describe our attempts to help Czechoslovak Physicians and Surgeons during the time of the communist isolation and later during the period after 1989.

3. 1965 - 1967 One months fellowship as a senior registrar At Great Ormond Street Hospital To check if my professional knowledge and language ability were sufficient. 3 days after my arrival, I was offered an extension for a full year and at the end of that year for a further year

4. UK senior registrar = senior assistant In Prague I was the most junior member of the team In London I was expected to organize running of the Department, selecting patients for the operating list etc.

5. Return to Prague As my family were kept in Prague as “hostages”, I returned from London in November 1967 Starting infant cardiac surgery was not easy, despite great help from all my colleagues

6. After about 2 weeks, one Friday afternoon, I was asked to see a small child with severe cyanosis and cyanotic “spells”. I told the cardiologists that the baby needed a shunt. They asked me if I could do it next Monday. But according to our London practise – this was an emergency I went to see the theatre nurse and told her that we had an emergency. She asked if it was an appendix or incarcerated hernia. When I told her that it was a Blalock Taussig shunt for a very blue baby – she was horrified. “This is not an emergency, this is cardiac surgery !!!!! “ However, after some discussion she agreed and a new era started. I should perhaps also mention, that I had to drive in my car to IKEM in Krc, to borrow baby vascular clamps, which they had (thanks to Party support), but we, at the children’s hospital did not have.

7. 1968 After the Soviet invasion in August 1968 I left Prague with my family for the UK. I was given a research post for 8 months (paid privately by my two consultants)

8. 1968-1971 I was a senior registrar for another year. In the UK there were only 4 full time paediatric cardiac surgeons at that time and therefore the prospect of getting a job was unlikely so my consultants advised me to go to the US to do research

9. In the USA I spent 6 month at Boston Children’s Hospital (cardiology and research) At that time one of my London Consultants (Australian) decided to emigrate to Philadelphia, his post became vacant and against all odds, I was lucky to be appointed to this prime position in Paediatric cardiac surgery in the UK

10. 1971 - 1989 Appointed Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital During those years I was in frequent touch with my friends in Prague, particularly Dr Hucin, the surgical Head of Kardiocentrum

11. 1971 - 1989 I was able to offer training positions to surgeons, cardiologists and anaesthetist from Kardiocentrum in Prague (6 – 12 months fellowships, paid by GOS Hospital) Invitations had to come from my UK colleagues or secretaries as I was sentenced to 1 year in labour camp for leaving the country.

12. 1971 - 1977 Before establishment of the Kardiocentrum in Prague, I had operated on a number of Czechoslovak children in London. (I was still sentenced to one year in labour camp)

13. 1971 - 1989 Altogether 8 surgeons/ cardiologists/anaesthetist, intensivists spent 6 – 12 months at Great Ormond Street Hospital

14. Today of the 8 “fellows”, one is the head of the department in Bratislava, one is the head of cardiology in Kardiocentrum, other is in charge of paediatric cardiac surgery in Leipzig.

15. 1989 My wife Olga (a paediatrician) and founded the “Catching Up Trust” to help Czech and Slovak surgeons and physicians to Catch up after the years of enforced isolation Baroness Cox of Queensburry - President of the trust J. Stark - chairman I.Trnka - treasurer O. Stark - secretary M.Lawson, A.Fosbrook

16. 1989 Raising funds was difficult. Any charity had to show their ability to raise funds before it could approach major donors Wife of Sheikh Maktoum, Sheikha Alia from Dubai donated £ 30 000 and later on hearing about the progress of the Trust she donated a further £ 100 000 I got to know the family as I operated on two of their children

17. 1989 Fellowships were for 3 months ( £ 3000) in some of the best hospitals in Birmingham, Bristol, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Edinburgh. We had also organized inexpensive accommodation through friends. Selection of candidates from all the medical and surgical disciplines was helped by the Deans of the medical schools.

18. Catching Up Trust J. Parkinson, a teacher of English for Foreign medical graduates helped us to evaluate the candidates She ran one week courses teaching them medical English and at the end organized an examination

19. Parents with their children in Hospital UK – encouraged to stay 24 hours per day Czechoslovakia – 2 hours twice per week

20. Strong parental support for children in hospital With the help of Doc Parizkova, head of Paediatrics at Hradec Kralove, in 1995 we started project D.A.R. – deti a rodice (vnemocnici)

21. Project D.A.R This project was also financed through the CUT. We extended the fellowships to Nurses, Physiotherapeutists and Play Specialists.

22. Catching Up Trust Over 14 years more then 110 doctors and other health specialists came to the UK on the CUT fellowships

23. Help by local doctors and administrators was very important Hospitals were charging £ 12,000 per year tuition fees Through our contacts we were able to have these tuition fees waived in ALL INSTANCES

24. Success of Emigrants It was in my view determined by Hard work and determination They had to prove that they were as good or better then the local candidates During training I was “on call” every day except Wednesday afternoon and every other weekend As consultant, I was “on call” every other night and every other weekend for 31 years

25. Unbiased Appointment Policy In the UK 30 % of consultants in Cardiothoracic surgery were foreign medical graduates – in France only 2 cardiac surgeons, in Germany only 3 cardiac surgeons

26. My experience In the UK, they were not only unbiased in appointing, but once appointed, everybody was treated as equal

27. In conclusion I can say, that my personal and professional experience from coming to London was completely Positive