Holly wrote, recorded and produced Wednesday’s On-Call around NHS hospital shifts and her studies at the University of Bristol’s Medical School.

Each of the six tracks focuses on a patient Holly treated in hospital. All anonymised to protect their confidentiality, this is her medical journey in the form of music. Although a pianist at heart, Holly also sings and plays guitar on the album.

It includes As Long As I Breathe, a powerful song about her “absurdly kind and selfless” consultant who died fighting COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic, and Red Freckles, about an eloquent young woman who struggled with severe bulimia, despite being fully aware of her condition.

Dawn is about a young child with Angelman Syndrome, a genetic condition which meant she would only ever say three or four words. By omitting lyrics and titling the track with one of the few words she could say, Holly hopes that “somewhere in the world, wherever she is, she can sing along too”. 

The sultry and jazzy track, Release Me, is about a 23-year-old lady presenting with severe fatigue and burnout – that patient was Holly herself.

Holly said: “In medicine, I can touch the patient's abdomen, listen to their chest – but with music, I can reach people I can’t see.

“I just hope each patient story inspires people as much as it did for me when writing them.” 

• Pictured above: Holly during a shift as an NHS junior doctor.

Holly grew up in several countries and began playing music aged three. She performed regularly at concerts and talent shows, earned her Grade 8 piano certification at 13 and was awarded Top in Thailand for IGCSE Music.

Despite her musical prowess, she has no plans to give up medicine. Having recently graduated from Bristol Medical School, part of the University of Bristol, and adjusting to the hectic life of a junior doctor, she is working towards becoming a plastic surgeon with a special interest in limb reconstruction.

Holly concluded: “I won’t stop making music. Ultimately, what inspires me has always been, and will always be, people – and that applies to being both a musician and a doctor.

“I wrote and recorded all the songs around hospital placements. At one point, it became even more stressful than medicine!”

• Pictured above: Holly on the day of her University of Bristol graduation. 

Sarah Purdy, the University of Bristol’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience and a part-time GP, said: “Practising medicine is an art as well as a science and being able to communicate with people is a core skill for medical students and doctors. 

“Holly’s amazing talents in music and medicine take this to a next level. 

“These beautiful tracks really touched me as I listened - I found them haunting and thought provoking. Thank you, Holly, for sharing them with us.’