Paquita de Zulueta - Doctor

Dr Paquita de Zulueta qualified as a GP in 1979 and has been working as a GP for 26 years.  Since then, Paquita has worked with vulnerable groups including homeless people, asylum seekers and refugees, people dependent on drugs and others who find access to healthcare difficult.

"I want to prioritise working for organisations where my skills can make the biggest difference and for that reason Project:London is a very good place to be. My father's family was exiled during the Spanish civil war and I was brought up abroad meeting people from different cultures and background. This has given me an affinity with people from other places and for those who are exiled. These are the people I come across regularly in the clinic. They are often marginalised in society and for this reason I really want to help them."

"I work as a doctor in the clinic but after the clinic finishes I often make calls to advocate on behalf of the people I've seen. They have often not seen a doctor for a very long time so they've stored up problems for a long time. Sometimes I feel so frustrated by all the administrative and bureaucratic barriers that stop people getting primary care when they desperately need it. I find it difficult to get a patient registered or seen by a GP sometimes.  I often wonder what the patient would do without help since often English is not their first language and they don't understand the system in the way a medical person might know it. I do find it distressing seeing patients who are very ill or in need of urgent care but whose clinical needs are being ignored."

"If I didn't have children I would do humanitarian work abroad, so Project:London gives me a great opportunity to volunteer for the marginalised sector in London."

To read Paquita's British Medical Journal article on her experiences at Project:London visit the DOW Frontline Diaries blog

Sara Robbins - Support Worker

Sara Robbins is a medical student who's volunteered with Project:London for 3 years.  She says volunteering has inspired her career decisions:

"Volunteering for Project:London has given me an insight into the difficult lives which some people in society face. Last summer I got the opportunity to work at a hospital in Ghana. It was amazing to work with people from different backgrounds, some of whom were migrants from Niger and were really discriminated against. Many of them did not speak English as a first language. I really learnt to use the skills I picked up from Project:London, since many of the clients I have met there were migrants in the UK also facing really serious health problems. Seeing inequalities in life certainly puts things in perspective."

Sara explains that volunteering has made a difference to her life as well as others: "I think it makes a big difference to people's lives just knowing that someone cares and wants to help, even if you sometimes feel like you're barely scratching the surface. Do not underestimate the effect you can have. You don't have to fly half way round the globe to change lives."