Dr. Alex Scott’s quest for personal and professional growth led him to our Human Performance Practitioner (HPP) course. As a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine at a major trauma centre, he thrives in high-pressure environments, delivering life-saving treatment while also mentoring the next generation of doctors.

Balancing his diverse and demanding career with leadership, mentorship, and a passion for performance, Alex’s dedication to development is both inspiring and impressive…

Hi Alex, could you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine in a major trauma centre and regional centre for a huge variety of medical specialities. I am also a Training Programme Director for resident doctors who are training to be consultants in anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine. I primarily look after those doctors who are not progressing as expected. 

I am also a cyclist, competing in time trials, and a photographer. I have featured in the National Portrait Gallery Hold Still Project and I have been a finalist in the British Wildlife Photography Awards.

How would you describe your work?

At any moment, I may be providing high-risk anaesthesia for major surgery, leading an intensive care ward round, or managing an ad-hoc team responding to a critical emergency. Shifting between meticulous patient care and rapid decision-making is a constant in a busy intensive care service.

I often work within multi-professional teams. A typical ITU ward round might include junior doctors, senior residents, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, and students from various disciplines. My role is to create an environment where everyone can contribute their expertise, feel valued, and raise concerns when needed. This is crucial for both patient safety and team learning. It is also important for enjoyment – to deliver care for critically ill patients in a great team is one of the most satisfying and exciting things we do. 

So, what inspired you to enrol on to the HPP course?

Coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was at a crossroads in my career. I had been an educational lead in my hospital and had provided a huge amount of intensive care medicine. It was the hardest period of my career and, whilst I had lost the feeling of being an impostor in the consultant role and felt I had done well under these two years of intense pressure, I was searching for new ways of working and developing myself.

My Clinical Director had completed the HPP course and recommended it to me as something I could benefit from.

I was hoping to gain new ways of dealing with issues and leading people. In my training, I was good at dealing with facts, evidence and logic but less good at dealing with people who took other approaches. 

What specific skills or knowledge were you hoping to gain from the HPP course?

I was hoping to gain new ways of dealing with issues and leading people. In my training, I was good at dealing with facts, evidence and logic but less good at dealing with people who took other approaches. This could lead to conflict. I wanted to understand this more.

How did you feel you could benefit from HPP– personally and professionally?

The course benefits me daily in leading a clinical team and as a leader, using the tools above.  My wife also went through HPP, and we can communicate better using some of the models in the course.

My view of myself and my career had narrowed down very greatly during COVID-19, and I was very conscious that a lot of my limitations were what I would now refer to as false, limiting self-beliefs.

In terms of the future, the course has been the foundation of my non-clinical work. This has since developed into senior and executive coaching, and I am looking to enrol in an MSc in Performance Psychology.

What were your key takeaways from the course?

My first takeaway was to examine my behaviours in the context of being ‘above the line’ or ‘below the line’. With this perspective, I now take more responsibility for my mood and actions than I did before. While the NHS is always under pressure and consistently struggles to match resources with needs, I understand that this situation isn’t going to change. It is up to me to make the best of the resources I have—to stay above the line and do my best for the people and patients around me.

Kahler’s drivers have also provided fantastic insight into a new way of understanding myself and those around me. I’ve realised that I tend to default to the “work hard” driver; in fact, I often feel dissatisfied with activities that are too easy. This explains why I enjoy pushing myself in time trials to the point where I can hardly speak, stand up, or do much other than breathe hard.

I also apply my understanding of Karpman’s drama triangle in my daily life. I often find myself being called to play the role of rescuer, whether it’s in interpersonal disputes among team members or in helping resident doctors navigate career crises. I’ve come to recognise the importance of stepping out of that role and adopting a coaching approach instead, as perpetuating the drama cycle can be damaging.

In terms of the future, the course has been the foundation of my non-clinical work. This has since developed into senior and executive coaching, and I am looking to enrol in an MSc in Performance Psychology.

What did you find most challenging about the HPP course?

The course triggered some deep reflection about some times when my behaviour was not what I wanted, and why that was.

What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling in the HPP course?

Come with an open mind, with some goals of things you’d wish to change. Look at the knowledge and tools presented and then examine them against some current realities.  From the options of how to go forward, choose the ones you want to make happen the most and resolve to make them happen. 

Then make those changes a little at a time every day. Make better human performance a habit.

Find the full details of our upcoming Human Performance Practitioner courses right here.

Learn more about all of our courses on offer here, including our in-house programmes and workshops.

Get in touch today to discuss the best training opportunities for your organisation.