'Transition to life in the UK was my greatest challenge in life'

Chinwe Obinwa dealt with the impact of the HIV pandemic while growing up in Nigeria. She is now a consultant psychiatrist at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

A Derbyshire doctor has shared her journey from life growing up in Nigeria to becoming a consultant psychiatrist in the NHS. Chinwe Obinwa has discussed what she does in her role, her Nigerian background, and the importance of celebrating Black culture and history during Black History Month.

Chinwe recalled how education was held in the "highest regard" when she was growing up. She enjoyed medical school and learning and attended school in Nigeria in the 1990s. She explained how she worked on frontline while dealing with the impact of the HIV pandemic.

She says this background drew her to the public health sector and she discovered psychiatry during her service year. Speaking on her family roots, Chinwe said: "According to the traditions of my family’s Igbo tribe in Nigeria, I am Adaobi. Ada means ‘the first daughter’ while Obi means ‘a King or the Home’.

"This is a position of great privilege and responsibility. Culturally, an Ada is considered a symbol of authority and a broker of peace in the family. This role has created a keen sense of responsibility in me which I have adopted.

"I was also drawn to public services as a way to help patients regardless of their financial position. It is therefore not surprising that I was attracted to the NHS when I emigrated to the UK. The UK is very special to me as it is where I became a wife and mother to my three children and found my speciality within forensic psychiatry and more recently neuropsychiatry.

"Transitioning to life in the UK is probably my greatest challenge in life. Nothing quite prepares you for the enormity of the change you experience in every aspect of life once the excitement of the new adventure wanes. Over the last 20 years, Black History Month has become increasingly poignant and a time of deep reflection for me."

Chinwe spoke as Derbyshire NHS Foundation Trust looks to celebrate its diverse workforce by sharing stories from colleagues and shining a spotlight on their lives. This year’s theme is ‘reclaiming narratives’ and marks a significant shift towards recognising and correcting the narratives of Black history and culture.

Chinwe continued: "Sometimes it feels like I am reminded that I am black only in October; the struggles and difficulties faced by black people in the healthcare system, women in particular, are constantly brought to the fore. However, I am excited by the theme this year, ‘reclaiming the narrative’, as it allows for the celebration of the incredible professionals who work hard to keep up the healthcare system and for the greater awareness of the strengths of diversity.

"During Black History Month, I find myself reflecting on one of the quotes of Maya Angelou, an American memoirist, poet and civil rights activist, who said: “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.’’ It means truly looking inside yourself and being honest about what you truly enjoy doing.

"As a psychiatrist, being part of Team Derbyshire Healthcare engenders a sense of belonging and community. As a Trust, we seek to intentionally create a culture where success thrives. However, success is meaningful and enjoyable when it feels like your own, let us all work together to create an environment where success thrives."

Chinwe considers herself lucky to be aware of senior female clinicians who not only "break glass ceilings" but continue to be positive role models for all. She told how her greatest role model is her mother, who was a teacher and widowed in her 40s.

Chinwe says that her mother put all four of her children through university, adding that it taught them resilience, self-belief and work ethic, which Chinwe took into her work for the NHS. Chinwe added: "The current financial climate is difficult for the NHS, but it presents opportunities for innovation and challenges us to think outside the box about maintaining and building on the high-quality services we already provide.

"There are a lot of adjectives to describe a typical day for me but boring is not one of them. Developing new services, ensuring our services maintain their standards, supporting our local and regional services, and training future doctors and consultants are some of the exciting things I am involved in."

October marks Black History Month in the UK, an annual celebration of the achievements, contributions and history of Black people in the UK. Each year the month aims to explore African and Caribbean culture and history across the UK, from the Black communities that were present in Britain thousands of years ago, to the Black servicemen that aided the UK during the Second World War and the Windrush generation that arrived after them.