Consultant Paediatrician, Kate Wildig has retired from Bradford Teaching Hospitals after 28 years supporting children and families in the city’s highly respected Child Development Centre (CDC).
A specialist in neurodisability, especially spina bifida, Dr Wildig has treated and cared for thousands of children during her time with the CDC service at St Luke’s Hospital, part of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – a job she has found deeply rewarding.
“I always wanted to work in neurodisability – I love it,” said Dr Wildig. “it’s such a complex area and you are always trying to do the very best for the child and family, often in very difficult situations as many children have life-limiting conditions. You try to do the best you can and engage the child with life and get their symptoms under control.
“I’ve loved working with my team, they’re the best. And the resilience of families, their determination and drive to cope with the challenges of having a severely disabled child never ceases to amaze me.”
Over the years she has seen many changes, from sharing a computer with a fellow consultant when she joined the Trust, to the introduction of electronic patient records and video consultations, something that started in COVID and is now an important way of working.
After qualifying from Birmingham Medical School in 1989, Dr Wildig worked in the Midlands, Manchester, Wakefield and St James’s Hospital, Leeds, before being headhunted by Dr Peter Corry, who ran Bradford’s CDC.
As well as leading the CDC and setting up a specialist multi-disciplinary service for children with spina bifida, Kate has been a medical advisor for One Adoption West Yorkshire and been a consultant appraiser and an examiner for the Royal College of Paediatrics. She also headed a CDC multi-disciplinary feeding advice team for many years.
Chief Medical Officer at the Trust, John Bolton, said: “Dr Wildig leaves an enormous legacy of dedicated care, compassion and brilliant teamwork which her colleagues continue at our Child Development Centre. Her energy and passion for supporting children and families have touched so many lives, and I’m very grateful for her choosing to spend her long career at Bradford.”
Dr Wildig has received personal messages of thanks from families, a farewell presentation from the spina bifida support charity Shine, and a team goodbye event.
In her retirement she is looking forward to mastering the oboe and piano, singing in a choir, playing in an orchestra and spending more time with her husband, a former GP, and three daughters, and generally living life and enjoying it after many years loyal service to Bradford children and their families.