About

Who’s writing this

I’m an ENT registrar working in the south of England, and I’m driven by how things and people work. This blog captures the intersection of my clinical work as a surgical trainee, the admin work that generates most of the problems worth solving, and developing solutions powered by AI, principally using Claude.

What gets built here

So much of what we do as doctors is hampered by suboptimal workflows and healthcare record systems that were never really designed with a clinician in mind, but purely to audit, to assess, and to produce deliverables against targets. I want to turn these systems on their heads in a manner that doesn’t require millions of pounds of investment, but instead reverse engineers what we already have and makes it work for individuals in their day-to-day practice.

Along the way I’ll add some thoughts on non-clinical ideas, where I’ve been able to follow my interests in technology more generally. I hope that this is a lighthearted outlet that helps others to understand that there is more to medicine, and to being a surgeon, than just the job alone.

The ideas published here are ones I’d be glad to share, for other like-minded individuals to test and to see whether these tools come in handy for them - or at least for inspiration in developing their own solutions. Only then will we get traction to develop systems made for the clinician, ones that improve their working lives and the way they interact with patients.

How these posts are made

A quick scroll through LinkedIn shows how easily AI now generates reams of content in a tone nowhere near the writer’s own, and how visible the tells become as adoption grows. I’ve never been a writer myself, but the aim here is to keep my own voice first and foremost. First drafts are mine, usually captured with voice-to-text (Wispr Flow) so the phrasing stays natural, and Claude acts as my sense-checker and editor. I’ve written my own editorial policy to keep things in check, and yes, AI does check my work against it!

What this blog isn’t

There is no medical advice within the scope of this blog, nor any patient information of any kind. No patient appears here by name, by description, by case detail, or cumulatively across posts.

Any work is described for information only, and nothing here is a teaching resource or a substitute for proper professional guidance. I’m happy to provide the means to develop and implement similar tools to mine should you wish, though what they do in your hands is your responsibility rather than mine.

While I may provide my critique on systems and decisions that may be flawed in their implementation, I have no intention to criticise any named individuals or organisations here.

Get in touch

Send me a message at hello@probeandprompt.com, or use one of the icons at the bottom of the page.