Meet Rajita, senior healthcare scientist

14 May 2015

Rajita Desai is a senior healthcare scientist at the Royal Free London. Here she answers our questions about her work in the NHS.

What is your role at the trust?

I am a senior healthcare scientist in microbiology – keeping our patients safe from potentially harmful bugs such as bacteria and parasites. I’m involved in the investigation, identification and treatment of bacterial and parasitological infections in patients.

What training/qualifications have you done to get to where you are now?

A biomedical science/biology degree and registration thereafter by the HPC health professional council.

Why do you do what you do?

It is very interesting finding the root cause of infections and very challenging combating infections. There is never a dull moment in medical microbiology; there are always new innovations to implement and good headway being made in patient care.

What is the best thing about your role?

It is challenging and always interesting and there is great scope for progress.

Why do you like working at the Royal Free London? 

I work at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead Heath, which is a lovely location, both green and in the middle of the city. Staffs are caring, efficient and friendly and the hospital has all the latest technology for patient care in various fields. There are also plenty of staff benefits available.

What would you say to someone considering a career in the NHS?

Don’t think, join the NHS! It’s yours if you want it and there are many advantages.

What did you want to be when you were little?

An architect!