A Ukrainian children’s doctor who fled her homeland before Russia’s invasion is now on the verge of returning to medicine after volunteering in Kent’s community healthcare services helped rebuild her confidence and prepare her for an NHS career.
With limited English language skills, no experience of NHS systems and the prospect of passing the examinations required to practise in Britain, Olena Ipek feared she might never be able to continue the profession she had worked so hard to establish.
Yet through an innovative ‘Volunteer to Career’ programme – developed by national charity Helpforce and delivered by Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) – Olena found a route back into medicine.
Born and raised in Kyiv, Olena, 30, graduated from Bogomolets National Medical University before completing postgraduate training in paediatrics, caring for children in hospitals and community clinics across the Kyiv region.
As reports of Russian troop movements intensified during 2021, she and her husband Baris made the difficult decision to leave Ukraine and move to Turkey.
“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made,” she said. “I had worked so hard to become a doctor. My family was there. My life was there.”
Just months later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
“There was no connection. I couldn’t call my family. I didn’t know if they were safe,” she recalled.
“My younger sister called me on the first day and said she was scared. She could see advancing tanks and troops from her window. I told her everything would be okay, but honestly I didn’t know if that was true.”
Olena later learned that Russian soldiers had entered and searched her family home while her parents and younger sister were sheltering there.
After periods living in Turkey and Canada, Olena eventually settled in Kent with her husband. Determined not to lose the career she had worked so hard to build, she began preparing for the English language and professional examinations required to practise medicine in Britain.
She also began volunteering on the stroke rehabilitation unit at Westbrook House in Margate, run by KCHFT. Initially shadowing experienced volunteers before supporting patients independently, Olena says the experience transformed both her confidence and her understanding of the NHS.
“My goal was to learn how to communicate better with people,” she explained. “The volunteers spent time talking with patients, helping carers, organising activities and simply being there for people. I realised how important those conversations could be.”
She later joined the Volunteer to Career programme at the trust, gaining shadowing experience across community services, frailty teams, family clinics and end-of-life care.
“Volunteering helped me realise that I still wanted to work with children,” she said. “It confirmed that paediatrics is where my passion remains.”
Alongside volunteering, Olena – who received additional support from the Ukrainian Medical Charity – passed the PLAB examinations required for international doctors seeking to practise in the UK.
“I learned how healthcare teams communicate, how patients expect to be treated, and how the NHS works,” she said. “It gave me confidence and helped me feel part of healthcare again.”
Amerjit Chohan, Chief Executive of Helpforce, said: “The NHS continues to face significant workforce challenges, while many medically qualified refugees are struggling to find routes back into careers they have spent years building.
“We have seen first-hand how structured volunteering can help individuals regain confidence, understand NHS systems and move into frontline healthcare roles.
“Olena’s story demonstrates the incredible experience, resilience and determination that refugee healthcare professionals bring. Greater investment in programmes like ours could release a torrent of talent into the NHS.”
Olena is now completing the final stages of obtaining her General Medical Council licence and hopes to begin her NHS career in the near future, with the ambition of once again specialising in paediatrics.
Mairead McCormick, Chief Executive, at KCHFT said: “Olena’s story is a wonderful example of how volunteering can open doors and help people take the next step towards a career in healthcare. We are incredibly grateful for the support and learning that came from working with Helpforce, which helped us develop and shape our own volunteering skills and career support offer.
“Since then, we have continued to build on that work through our bespoke volunteering programmes, creating opportunities for people to gain experience, develop confidence and learn more about the many rewarding careers available across the NHS.”
Oksana Lovochkina, Chief Executive of the Ukrainian Medical Charity, said: “Talent should never be lost because of barriers. As the leader of a community of more than 1,500 Ukrainian healthcare professionals in the UK who have been displaced by the war, I have seen first-hand the immense value these clinicians can bring to the NHS.”
Olena’s story highlights the contribution displaced healthcare professionals could make to the NHS at a time of ongoing workforce pressures.
There are around 7,500 doctor vacancies and 21,600 unfilled nursing roles in England, contributing to mounting strain on services and long waiting times for patients. Meanwhile, an estimated 2,000 refugee doctors are currently living in the UK, alongside many more refugee nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. Many struggle to return to their professions due to the kinds of barriers Olena faced.
Across the UK, around 300 refugee healthcare professionals have moved into paid healthcare roles through Helpforce’s Volunteer to Career programme and similar initiatives over the past three years.
Now Helpforce – together with organisations including NHS Employers, the Refugee Council, Breaking Barriers and the Ukrainian Medical Charity – is calling for greater investment in specialist support pathways, arguing they could release a “torrent of talent” into the stretched health service.
Information and support for refugees with medical backgrounds can be found at www.helpforce.community
