Week 45: One year in
This week the NHS Digital prevention service portfolio celebrated its first birthday! (Previously, the digital programmes for vaccinations and screening had been managed separately).
It’s also coincidentally been one year since I joined the NHS.
So I thought I’d share some observations and reflections from being one year in.
Observations
In no particular order…
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a long shadow. Within vaccinations, there are still a lot of questions I ask where the answer is “we’re not sure, it was set up that way in a hurry”. Documentation probably exists, but is rarely easily to find.
NHS frontline staff are absolutely dedicated and full of experience and wisdom, yet have little influence over their digital tools and environment.
Face to face time in physical offices has more intangible benefits than you can put your finger on.
If you tell someone you work for the NHS you’ll immediately get some personal stories of good and bad experiences. This can be tiring, but the stories are worth listening to.
Acronyms are everywhere within the NHS, and usually not explained. They’re overwhelming for new joiners. I have to remind myself to remember to keep explaining them, but I do slip up.
No one has a complete mental picture of how the NHS works, including those who work there. It’s too complicated and changes too frequently for that.
Hospitals are weird, liminal spaces. They look superficially like airports, with coffee shops and seating, but are even worse when it comes to a feeling of helplessly waiting.
The best strategy is still delivery.
The NHS brand is highly respected yet very loosely guarded. It’s used all over the place, including by independent organisations and suppliers. Seems to work though.
Vaccinations are an amazing altruistic, social act – yet too often framed in individualistic terms.
Working in healthcare can make you paranoid about your own health.
The NHS has an odd relationship with commercial software suppliers. Mike summed this up well last week.
Having a great leadership is genuinely inspiring. Pep talks work.
People matter – having good, experienced, thoughtful people in teams counts for a lot. And luckily we have plenty of them.
I’m away next week for Easter. Back to the mountains!