Dr Francis Kynaston-Pearson is a British Consultant Rheumatologist with special interests in musculoskeletal ultrasound, axial spondyloarthritis, and sero-negative arthritis. He completed his medical degree in Leicester, where he also obtained an additional First-Class Bachelor’s degree (BSc) in Physiology and Pharmacology. He went on to complete his higher specialist training (CCT) in Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine in the UK, with a brief period of training in Australia. Before relocating to the UAE in January 2025, Dr Kynaston-Pearson was a Rheumatology Consultant and Clinical Lead at The Royal Derby Hospital for over five years. He has championed multiple quality improvement projects, including collaborations with the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS) and the Royal College of Physicians, and has published research in peer-reviewed journals. His passion for teaching led him to complete a Master’s in Medical Education at the University of Nottingham with distinction. He continues to mentor trainees, teach medical students, and run patient education programmes. Dr Kynaston-Pearson is now based at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital, part of Mediclinic Middle East.
At Allocation Assist, we keep in touch with our doctors and always love to hear about their experiences and achievements. It was great to talk to Dr Francis in between his busy schedule.
Settling Into Mediclinic Parkview Hospital
Dr Kynaston-Pearson, or Dr KP as his patients often call him, relocated to Dubai in January and joined Mediclinic Middle East, based at Parkview Hospital. He describes Parkview as a lovely hospital with a calming atmosphere from the moment you walk in, well set up with all the right equipment.
The team at Mediclinic Parkview is one of the biggest private rheumatology units in the Gulf region, with around eight consultants. For him, that has been a real plus. He says it is helpful for complicated cases to know you have supportive colleagues who can help you in those early days, especially with rare cases. He also works with a nurse who recently moved to join him, and credits the management team for supporting him through the transition.
He appreciated not being pushed to suddenly perform or get super busy in the first week or two. As he puts it, that space is needed because when you first relocate there is a lot to sort out, like getting the house ready, the children’s schools, and all those other bits and pieces.
Why Rheumatology
Dr Kynaston-Pearson says he wanted to be a doctor from a young age, although he finds it hard to explain exactly why. He says the standard interview answers are true (he likes science, he likes helping people), but honestly he doesn’t fully know why being a doctor was what he wanted to do for such a long time. Every time he tested other ideas or career options, it just didn’t sit quite right.
To get some early experience, he did healthcare assistant work in phlebotomy and worked in an operating theatre, setting things up for operations. He enjoyed it, and decided that if he didn’t like being a doctor at the end of it all, he would at least have a medical degree. As it turned out, he loved medical school. He enjoyed pharmacology so much that he took on an extra BSc in Physiology and Pharmacology.
He liked theatre and considered becoming an anaesthetist or a surgeon, but realised that in medical specialties he would have more chances to talk to patients and build rapport with them. He tested the waters as a resident in general practice, paediatrics, and emergency medicine in the UK and Australia, then in haematology, endocrinology, and care of the elderly as he worked out where he wanted to specialise.
When he started rheumatology, it fit everything he was looking for. He sees a variety of patients aged 16 and up, men and women, leads on their treatment, and works with what he calls really cool drugs that appeal to his pharmacology side. Patients generally get better. There were also family considerations. In rheumatology you are not likely to get many emergency calls in the middle of the night or on holidays, which is more conducive to a balanced family life. The work is also holistic, and he really gets to know his patients. He has no regrets about choosing rheumatology.
Why Dubai and Why Now
Dr Kynaston-Pearson is candid that this was a question he took time over, and one he thinks is important for anyone considering a similar move. There were both push and pull factors across three areas of his life: professional, family, and personal. For him, it was more about the pull factors drawing him to Dubai. He had a good setup with great colleagues at the Royal Derby Hospital, where he was Clinical Team Lead, alongside private practice and work with a health technology company called Metaphor. It was all going well, so it took a lot of time and thought to decide whether to relocate.
Professional Reasons
From a professional standpoint, he sees Dubai as offering a lot of opportunities for a rewarding career. Because of the differences in healthcare systems, there are drugs available in the UAE that he didn’t have access to back home, and there are different conditions that are more common here. He also believes that if you are motivated towards service improvement and quality improvement, and can make a strong case, you can make changes happen more quickly in Dubai.
In the NHS, he says, it can be frustrating at times if you see a good idea to improve care. It not only has to be better for the patient, the funding has to be available too, and often is not for the more expensive treatments. Going through endless business cases and meetings can sap your enthusiasm for innovation.
Family Reasons
The family side was the other big driver. With three growing kids at different stages of school, he and his wife had talked about migrating for a long time. With his oldest starting secondary school from September, they felt this was the right time.
He thinks his children will have a really good education in Dubai. The schools have amazing facilities, the country feels safe, and the children are able to gain more independence in their teenage years, going out with friends knowing they can get a cab home safely. In England, he says, people are sometimes more protective because of worries about traffic accidents or crime. He also sees real value in his children experiencing a new culture and meeting people from all over the world.
Personal Reasons
Personally, he and his wife were comfortable and happy with the new setup, and his wife had a job opportunity in Dubai. They were also looking for a change and a new challenge. As he puts it, he didn’t want to wake up and realise 20 years had passed and find himself in the same job in the same house. Coming to Dubai felt like a chance to slow time down, create new milestones, and have an adventure. The timing felt right.
Teaching, Mentoring, and Continuing Professional Development
Teaching is a passion for Dr Kynaston-Pearson. He took time out as a registrar to complete his Master’s in Medical Education, and says he would be sad if he didn’t continue with it. Even early in his new job at Parkview, he has already had students come into clinic and has been involved in some university teaching.
Coming from the NHS, with its strong continual professional development structure, he was pleased to find that there are plenty of professional education events and conferences in Dubai too. The private sector runs as a business and seeing patients comes first, but there are still good opportunities for teaching and CPD. He has attended three different educational events in the last two months. He is also presenting at the Middle East Rheumatology Conference (16-18 May 2025) in Dubai, which he sees as a great chance to network with colleagues for complicated cases, collaborations, and research.
Resources for Patients: doctor-kp.com
One project Dr Kynaston-Pearson started even before moving to Dubai is his patient website, doctor-kp.com. He has had more time recently to add content, and he hopes it will be a useful resource for patients here.
When you see a patient, he explains, you always have standard explanations and educational information you want to convey, whether that is helping them understand a condition, giving lifestyle advice for inflammatory diseases, or counselling about a drug therapy. That takes time you may not always have if a clinic is running late or you need to focus on specific questions. So he has been compiling the kind of information he would want to give every patient if time were unlimited, and putting it on the site.
He has also added links to high-quality resources from charities like the lupus charity, the fibromyalgia charity, and the arthritis foundation, so patients have everything in one place. The project has given him a chance to learn new skills he never expected to pick up as a doctor, like producing educational videos and designing a website. Potential patients can also find details about where he works and how to book an appointment.
Working With Allocation Assist
Dr Kynaston-Pearson says his experience with Allocation Assist has been great. He jokes that he is possibly the slowest candidate the team has ever had. They were first in touch around 2022, near the end of the Covid period. He had been thinking about moving for a long time, but there were many things to weigh up: was it the right time for his career, would his wife find a job, what about schools for the children.
He found the team patient and helpful with his early questions. Last summer, more than two years after that first contact, he decided he was ready to move. From there, things moved incredibly quickly. His first interview was with Mediclinic, and within a few days the job was secured. The Allocation Assist team helped him with all the paperwork and made the process simple.
He also values the ongoing support since his arrival, the social events and networking opportunities, and the WhatsApp group with other doctors, which has become another network for support and referrals. He says Allocation Assist has been helpful well beyond just finding him a job.
How Allocation Assist Supports Doctors Relocating to the UAE
Relocating internationally as a doctor means working through several stages, from licensing and job placement to settling into a new healthcare system and helping your family settle in. Allocation Assist streamlines this process with structured support at each stage.
Key Areas of Assistance
- Licensing and regulatory navigation, guiding physicians through credentialing requirements specific to the UAE.
- Role identification and placement, matching specialists with positions aligned to their clinical expertise and career objectives.
- Relocation and family logistics, coordinating practical elements to ensure a seamless move for the entire family.
- Ongoing support, keeping in touch with relocated doctors, including networking events and peer groups for support and referrals.
For internationally trained specialists like Dr Kynaston-Pearson, that support makes the move into the UAE healthcare system smoother, letting them focus on patient care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dr Francis Kynaston-Pearson’s background and qualifications?
Dr Kynaston-Pearson is a British Consultant Rheumatologist. He completed medical school in Leicester, where he also obtained a First-Class BSc in Physiology and Pharmacology. He completed his CCT in Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine in the UK, with a brief period of training in Australia, and a Master’s in Medical Education at the University of Nottingham with distinction. Before relocating to the UAE in January 2025, he was a Rheumatology Consultant and Clinical Lead at The Royal Derby Hospital for over five years.
Where does Dr Kynaston-Pearson work in the UAE?
He works at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai, part of Mediclinic Middle East.
What are his subspecialty interests?
His subspecialty interests include musculoskeletal ultrasound, axial spondyloarthritis, and sero-negative arthritis.
Why did Dr Kynaston-Pearson relocate to Dubai?
He cites professional, family, and personal pull factors. Professionally, the UAE gives him access to treatments and conditions not available in the NHS, and the ability to drive service improvement more quickly. For his family, the move offers high-quality schools, safety, independence for his teenagers, and exposure to a multicultural environment. Personally, he and his wife were ready for a change and a new challenge.
What is Mediclinic Parkview Hospital like for rheumatology?
Mediclinic Parkview is one of the biggest private rheumatology units in the Gulf region, with around eight consultants. Dr Kynaston-Pearson describes it as a well-equipped, supportive, and collaborative environment with a calming atmosphere, where he has been able to settle in without immediate pressure to be fully busy from day one.
Is he still involved in teaching and education in Dubai?
Yes. He continues to teach medical students and trainees, has been involved in university teaching, and attends regular professional education events and conferences. He is also presenting at the Middle East Rheumatology Conference (16-18 May 2025) in Dubai.
Where can patients find more information about Dr Kynaston-Pearson?
Dr Kynaston-Pearson has built a patient resource website at doctor-kp.com with educational content, lifestyle and treatment information, links to trusted charities like the lupus charity, fibromyalgia charity, and arthritis foundation, and details about where he works and how to book an appointment.
What has his experience with Allocation Assist been like?
He describes the experience as great. The team was patient with him over more than two years of decision-making, then moved very quickly once he was ready, helping with all the paperwork. He also values the ongoing support since relocation, including social and networking events and a WhatsApp group of doctors for peer support and referrals.
