Thrival guide – Broomfield, London

The thrival guide to: Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford

Date created: January 2026

Mentor bio

  • Name: Bishoy Yassa
  • Background: I am a newly qualified UK foundation doctor currently working in East London. I moved to Essex for medical student placement training and was new to both the hospital and the local area when I started. Like many doctors coming to semi-rural placements, I had limited prior knowledge of what working and living here would be like.
  • Choices: Broomfield was not my first choice initially, mainly due to concerns about distance from London and being away from established support networks. In practice, it has been a positive and reassuring experience. The hospital is welcoming, teams are supportive, and the working environment feels more personal than in larger trusts.
  • Interests and hobbies: Outside work, I enjoy staying active, exploring local walks and green spaces, and spending time with colleagues. Chelmsford has enough going on day to day, and the transport links make it easy to stay connected with friends and family elsewhere.
  • Best thing about training in this location: The biggest advantage of training here is how visible and supported you are. Seniors are approachable and escalation is encouraged. You gain confidence quickly through hands on clinical experience. Smaller teams make it easier to build strong working relationships, ask for help, and feel part of the hospital community. Living costs are lower than London, and work life balance is more achievable.
  • Contact details: I am happy to be contacted by incoming or prospective foundation doctors with questions about working at Broomfield, settling into the area, or managing the transition to a more rural hospital setting.
    You can find me on LinkedIn, under my name!

The hospital

Broomfield Hospital is a semi-rural district general hospital serving Chelmsford and surrounding rural Essex. It provides a broad range of medical and surgical services and covers a wide geographic catchment area.

Chelmsford can feel quieter at first. Give it time. Smaller places grow on you. Many foundation doctors find it offers strong hands-on clinical exposure in a supportive environment. Life at Broomfield is what you make of it. Many doctors arrive unsure and leave confident and clinically capable.

Roles and responsibilities

As a foundation doctor you will be actively involved in:

  • Ward work
  • Clerking new admissions
  • Day to day patient management

Smaller teams mean you are more visible, take ownership earlier, and build confidence quickly, with senior support close by.

Approach to on calls

  • Smaller teams than large London trusts
  • One F1 covering the wards
  • F2 and middle grade clerking admissions

Take a breath and call the reg. You are never expected to manage alone.

Accommodation

  • Single occupancy en-suite rooms
  • Bed, desk, chair and storage provided
  • Shared kitchens and laundry facilities
  • Close to work, especially useful on call

Tip: bring extra bedding and a lamp to make it more comfortable.

Handover and communication

  • Handover is ward based or specialty specific
  • Ask early where and when to attend Switchboard and bleep systems are straightforward
  • Introduce yourself early. Relationships matter here.

Advice we wish we’d had

  • You are more visible than you expect
  • Seniors are approachable
  • Ask questions early
  • A car makes life easier, but you can manage without
  • Your experience depends more on your team than the hospital name

Our local recommendations

Chelmsford has a reliable selection of cafés, pubs and casual restaurants. Most doctors quickly find a few favourites.

Parks, countryside walks and green spaces nearby. Good for switching off after work.

Quieter than London, but foundation doctors often form close knit groups through the mess and shared accommodation.

Additional resources