Training and education

Education

BSc medical science (psychology) with first class honours - the University of Edinburgh, July 1999
MBChB awarded with honours - the University of Edinburgh Medical School, 2002
MRCPCH (member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health) -part I (A and B) in May 2004, part II in December 2004, clinical in June 2005 (98%)
Postgraduate diploma in clinical education by e-learning at University of Edinburgh - 2008
MSc biomedical science/cancer biology and biomedical imaging at University of Edinburgh, personal award from the Wellcome Trust - 2011

Training

Undergraduate medical training and intercalated psychology degree at University of Edinburgh
Paediatric training at Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh
Paediatric registrar training rotation throughout Glasgow and Stirling
Paediatric intensive care and oncology at Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Durban
Clinical lecturer research post at University of Edinburgh
Sub-speciality grid paediatric oncology training at RHSC and at Southampton Children’s Hospital

Experience

Dr Mitchell is a paediatric oncologist who joined the Trust in 2012. She looks after children and young people with all types of cancer, providing a specialist oncology service for children in the Wessex region. She sees children in the acute setting and also as outpatients, and liaises with other hospitals in the region to give specialist advice.

Dr Mitchell has particular expertise in the management of paediatric leukaemia, paediatric lymphomas (cancer of the lymph nodes) and Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (a rare form of cancer). She has a special interest in palliative care and symptom management in paediatric oncology.

Dr Mitchell is a keen clinical educator and passionate teacher. She's experienced in and enthusiastic about ensuring excellent patient experience through development of efficient and co-designed patient pathways using quality improvement methodology.

Roles in the Trust

Lead of the malignant haematology multidisciplinary meeting since April 2017
Chair of the Wessex Regional Care Guidelines Supporting Care Working Party
Core member of the solid oncology multidisciplinary team (MDT)
Member of the clinical services review group for Children’s Hospital guidelines
UHS quality improvement champion

Regional roles

Chair of the Wessex Regional Care Guidelines Supporting Care Working Party, which has worked to develop supportive care guidelines that are accessible here: http://www.piernetwork.org/guidelines.html
Member of PIER (Paediatric Innovation Education Research network)

National roles

Secretary of the Children’s Cancer & Leukaemia (CCLG) Histiocytosis Advisory Group
Core member of the CCLG guideline development subgroup
Member of the Children's Leukaemia Clinical Research Network (UKCLCRN)

Awards and prizes

Awarded a quality improvement fellowship from Health Education England in 2017 to work on improving the patient experience and efficiency of the Wessex paediatric chemotherapy service.
Awarded a Team Health Foundation Award for inclusion as a SAFE (Situational Awareness for Everyone) collaborative site enabling work on improving patient safety through the introduction of huddles in the Children’s Hospital.

Research

Dr Mitchell is currently researching FERF (favourable event reporting) as a means to improve staff morale and well-being.

Her research publications include:

A 10 year case – review of the clinical outcomes and treatment of children with Langerhans' Cell Histiocytosis at Southampton Children’s Hospital presented at SIOP Washington Sept 2017 and published as an abstract in Paediatric Blood Cancer.
Author of two chapters on paediatric haematology and paediatric oncology for medical students in The Unoffical Guide to Paediatrics, Published 2017. Find out more here.
Co-author of chaper with Prof Juliet Gray: 'High count T cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia with treatment stratification by minimal residual disease' in Precision Oncology. This book was awarded the BMJ Book Prize in 2017. Find out more here.
Mitchell AFM, Watson B, Pryde K, Gray J, Brooke D, Day M, Chamberlain S. Improving situational awareness in paediatric oncology: embracing SAFE for intrathecal lists. Poster at SIOP, Dublin, October 2016.
Mitchell AFM, Brooke D, Watson B, Pryde K, Withers A. Improving situational awareness in elective paediatric oncology theatre lists within a ward environment. Poster at RCPCH annual conference. April 2016.

Mitchell AFM, Pritchard-Jones K, Ramunchajachar R. A Rare case of fusion negative cellular mesoblastic nephroma. Poster at the CCLG National Summer Education Meeting. July 2015.
Mitchell AFM, Roberts N, Wallace WHBW. Is it time to revise the RECIST criteria to incorporate stereology? Poster at International Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) London, 2012.
Mitchell A, Ishizaki H, Taylor K, Jackson I, Melton D, Tyers M & Patton E.. Investigating the role of Nitrofurans in neural crest development & cancer. Poster at Zebrafish in Disease Modelling. Boston, USA June 2010.
Mitchell A, Ishizaki H, Taylor K, Jackson I, Melton D, Tyers M & Patton E.. Investigating the role of Nitrofurans in neural crest development & cancer. Poster at 9th International Conference in Zebrafish. Madison, USA June 2010.
Mitchell A, Jeena P. Outcomes of children with cancer who require admission to intensive care in South Africa. Poster at International Paediatric Haematology Oncology Update Meeting, Edinburgh. Oct 2008.

Contact

You can contact Dr Mitchell via her secretary, Lorraine Davidson - call 023 8120 4101 or send an email.

If you'd like to leave feedback on the care you or your child has received from Dr Mitchell, you can visit her profile on IWantGreatCare.

You can also follow Dr Mitchell on Twitter @DrAmymitchell2.