JUNIOR doctor Tom Hutley has had his eyes opened by the ‘refreshing’ service provided to terminally ill patients in a Dorchester hospice.

Tom, 24, is on a two-month placement at the Joseph Weld Hospice in Herringston Road, which provides palliative care to people with life-limiting illnesses in South, West and North Dorset.

Having spent eight months working at the Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester seeing patients all day everyday, Tom was slightly daunted by the comparatively slow pace of the hospice and the responsibility of dealing with patients in the last stages of their life.

He felt ‘out of his comfort zone’ for the first few days until he had a revelation.

Tom said: “One morning it dawned on me that this was an opportunity not to be missed.

“I actually was being given the opportunity and the time to talk to the patients and their families.

“I could get to know the patient, what they did, their hobbies, their sense of humour, their beliefs, no question would go unanswered; it felt liberating.”

He added: “As a junior doctor in a hospital you just do not have the time for such a luxury, there is always too much else to do and I feel that it is such a shame to miss out on getting to know your patients.

“I guess if I were to choose a word to sum up my hospice experience it would ‘refreshing.’ “It encompasses the welcoming and friendly nature of all the staff and volunteers, the beautiful gardens, the way the patients appear relaxed, comfortable and feel free to talk about anything.

“This is a real breath of fresh air for me and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.”

The young doctor said the hospice had opened his mind to a career path he had previously dismissed.

Born in Truro, Cornwall, Tom was brought up on a dairy farm in North Cornwall and said his favourite food is Davidstow cheddar, which ‘you just cannot beat.’ He studied at Southampton University and qualified as a junior doctor in June last year.

Football-mad Tom currently plays for ‘the mighty Piddletrenthide’. His other hobbies include surfing, listening to and playing music and socialising with friends.

Tom chose to spend part of a four-month rotation at the Joseph Weld Hospice while in his final year at medical school and was ‘lucky enough’ to get his first choice.

His rotation also involves a two-month placement at the intensive care unit at Dorset County Hospital.