Consultant plastic surgeon Ms Priyanka Chadha shares how she balances the operating theatre and parenting duties
A typical working day…
My day begins just after 6am. If it is an operating day, I’m usually up before the sun rises, trying to steal a quiet 10 minutes for myself before the chaos begins. That little slice of peace is so important – setting a calm tone for what is inevitably a packed, high-energy day. But with three small children who seem to sense when I’m awake, those minutes are more often an aspiration than a reality.
By 6:45am, the household is in full swing. Kisses from the kids, alongside my morning coffee and porridge, are my morning fuel. By 7am I’m usually out the door, already on work calls during the journey to the hospital. I’ll arrive around 8am, and by 8:30am we’re in theatre – knife to skin. Each week, I spend two days operating and two days in clinic. The remaining three are a mix of teaching, training and travel. Clinic days give me a bit more flexibility, as I can wake the children, make…
