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Advent Countdown 2022
Practicus Healthcare team is counting down to Christmas with an Advent Calendar, highlighting innovations and news from the past year that may not have got the attention we feel it deserves. Each consultant has selected a news item that inspired them to share.
Day 1 – Healthcare Sensors
My choice is a short slick video produced by Goldman Sachs showing the potential of using sensors as devices to monitor a patient’s vital health signs remotely. It is an emerging technology that offers unprecedented opportunities for the healthcare industry to deliver patient care and services in smarter ways. Sensors have increased in sophistication, enabling their use in a wide array of applications.
Day 2 – Progress towards net-zero in Manchester
My choice is a short video showing some of the achievements from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust on their journey to achieving net zero. Every NHS trust in England now has a green plan to reduce energy costs and waste. To see this in action in my local hospital, makes me proud, but also conscious of the energy and effort this takes, by hardworking and dedicated NHS staff.
Day 3 – Finance Roles in the NHS
My choice is a short video from the NHS Future-Focused Finance team highlighting Finance as a rewarding career. Having experience of searching for excellent candidates for senior finance roles, I like the way this animation highlights the variety of roles available. Practicus helps the NHS find the right people with the right skills, to help make sure NHS finances are well managed.
Day 4 – NHS Net Zero Achievements
On the heels of COP27, my choice reflects on the efforts that the NHS is making in striving for net-zero. This short film gives 3 real-world examples of what has been achieved so far by NHS Orkney, Newcastle Hospital Trusts and Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Day 5 – The Value of NHS Managers (Proud2bOps)
My choice focuses on NHS Managers, who make a distinct contribution as the people who organise care, fix problems, and ultimately take responsibility for the delivery of services. But this value that they deliver often goes overlooked and unrecognised. Here Proud2bOps is a group shining a spotlight on the value of Managers, published in the BMJ online by founder Emma Challans-Rasool.
Day 6 – Living with the Menopause
My choice picks up on an important topic regarding women’s wellbeing in the workplace. A topic covered in @national-health-executive in the summer with an article written by Dame Lesley Regan, Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Imperial College, London, in which she makes the case for better support for women in the workplace so they can flourish.
Recently we have the example of aspiration put into practice with Wendy Madden persuading her employer University Hospital Birmingham to launch the first ever NHS menopause passport.
Day 7 – Barts Charity Research
My choice is a short video produced by the Charity Trust of BartS Health NHS Trust, which introduces all the wonderful research work & innovations that the charity funds and collaborates on. It shares the contribution the Trust and its Charity make to the local community. An honest reflective video showing wonderful world-leading research that Barts is involved in to improve diagnostics & patient outcomes.
Day 8 – Community Diagnostic Centres
My choice is a video from Philips Healthcare which really explains the new world of Community Diagnostic Centres. The government has committed £2.3bn of capital funding over the next three years to transform diagnostics, with 160 community diagnostic centres designed to speed up diagnostics and make them more accessible in communities.
Day 9 – Hiring Interims, the Right Way
The article that caught my eye focuses on the benefits of hiring the right C-suite talent for the right stage in a company’s development. This means hiring expertise to deliver programmes and bringing in fresh talent when needed. This article in Raconteur, written by Sally Whittle explains the concept in the context of hiring CTOs, CIOs and CISOs for shorter but high-impact periods. A trend on the rise and one that Practicus is well placed to help with in finding the best talent to fulfil a need.
Day 10 – The Long Shot (Kate Bingham)
Last year I recommended the book ‘Vaxxers’, the story of how the vaccine was made, this year my choice is the gripping story behind how Kate Bingham the UK’s Vaccine Tzar procured and financed the vaccine. An excellent account of how the right group of people can make the extraordinary happen to get us out of the covid nightmare we faced.
Day 11 – Practice Vaccine Rollout Case Study
My choice is to highlight one of our own case studies which charts our contribution in supporting the NHSE Vaccine Taskforce in the vaccine rollout. We may all be getting back to our new normal environment, but the hard work, dedication and achievements of all those (including our own team) that made the vaccine rollout such a success, definitely deserves recognition for a long time to come.
Day 12 – NHS Needs More Managers Not Less in Song & Research
My choice puts the important role #NHS Managers contribute into context. It is a rap song (music & graphics) inspired by the research findings from the University of York.
Researchers examined the relationship between the number of managers in the NHS and clinical performance. Their findings show that, contrary to common perceptions, we need more managers in the NHS to improve patient outcomes. Since Practicus has been helping the NHS find the right skilled managers at the right time, this theme and the song resonates with me. Click here for the research.
Day 13 – Introducing Mencap’s Myth Buster Ambassadors
My choice is a truly inspirational initiative from @MenCap to dispel the stigmas about learning disability through the personal stories of their myth busting ambassadors. There are 18 stories in total. My video choice presents Tara, a non-verbal independent artist, whose story is told by her sister. The Ambassadors all have a learning disability and feature a dancer, a marathon runner, an actor, a baker, a model, and a football coach, demonstrating the diversity of the learning disability community.
As we contemplate the true meaning of the season, I would urge everyone to take a look at some of these inspiring stories of determination and fulfilment. @Mencap do an absolutely astounding job at not only busting the myths but championing the community and advocating for their needs.
Day 14 – NHS Memorable Timeline
To conclude the @Practicus Healthcare Team advent countdown, and as we head into the new year, my choice is to reflect on the NHS Timeline that charts its origins through the decades. Produced by The Nuffield Trust, the guardians of NHS history and who still maintain it today. It highlights the great achievements and its policy changes through various Governments.
Next year the NHS celebrates its 75th year and I know the Practicus Healthcare team looks forward to continuing to support the NHS, and all supporting organisations involved in providing quality healthcare. We are excited to be attending NHS Confed in Manchester next year – already booked are stand (C25)!
