Dr Cheesman joined the MSG in 2022 from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London where she was a consultant anaesthetist for 11 years. She was also a college tutor, providing educational and pastoral support for anaesthetic students, and the lead for obstetric anaesthesia. She specialised in anaesthesia for high-risk obstetrics, reconstructive plastic surgery and ENT (ear, nose and throat surgery).
Her achievements include writing and instigating protocols for a safer obstetric anaesthesia service, setting up clinics for high-risk patients and ensuring good debriefing for staff and patients. She also set up safety proformas and training in interventional radiology for high-risk patients.
After qualifying as a doctor at Imperial College, London, she undertook anaesthesia training at University College London Hospitals. Her career has also taken her to in Australia, New Zealand and to Canada where she undertook an anaesthesia research fellowship at British Columbia Womens Hospital in Vancouver. She has also worked with a medical charity (Project Harar) providing anaesthesia for complex surgery in Ethiopia.
‘For many patients the anaesthetic can be the scariest part of the procedure, I love building rapport with my patients and believe if you go off to sleep smiling you wake up smiling. It’s very rewarding to see a patient in recovery after the operation, happy and comfortable.’
Outside work, Dr Cheesman loves water in liquid and solid forms – whether daily sea swimming or researching travel options from Guernsey to the mountains.
