'Steggles Management Ltd.'

Life has not stood still after knowing our Qatar move has been delayed.

So what am I doing?

I have taken the opportunity to approach nursing in a different manner, in that I have become self-employed working in interim management, our company is ‘Steggles Management Ltd’ with a directorship of me and my co-director, Jerry.

What does that mean?

When a health business or NHS have a specific task to be completed or need a person to fill a gap for a period of time and require a specific skill set. The business can approach an agency to ask them to find an individual to fit their requirements.

In the mean time I had shared my CV with a number of agencies with the expectation they would match me to a relevant role.

With a match to a role and my skill set determined, I was then invited to interview which resulted in a successful outcome, I was offered a job.

So now you’re asking, what is the job?

It is as Patient Flow Manager in Sussex Community Trust for, initially, a three month period.

Patient Flow means trying to improve how a patient moves through the system from an acute hospital to their discharge when the patient may require community services to support where ever the patient then lives. In reality I am finding the key essence of a Patient Flow role is, acting as the catalyst to re-build relationships which have been damaged through the manner the health economy is being governed. The outcome of an improved flow for patients is their length of stay in hospital reduces with the aim appropriate patients are in the acute/community hospital beds as far as possible.

Did you say Sussex, that’s a long way from Norfolk!

Yes it is, so I am away from home weekdays staying in a ‘home from home’ bed and breakfast just south of Horsham in Partridge Green. It is like living with your elderly parents. I’m looked after and cared for with a nice circuit to run in the evening and my breakfast ready each morning, which certainly softens the blow when away from home.

My job area is the coastal region of the trust which is five hospitals (Bognor Regis, Salvington, Rushington, Midhurst, Arundel) with a total of six wards. So the traveling between the sites is significant but OK.

The worst part of my working week is getting through the Dartford tunnel going home, to date I have always had to wait a significant period of time, so I use the time to make notes about my next blog posting.

OK that sounds good, how is it going?

I’ve been employed since the beginning of August and settled into the role well, concentrating on building a good rapport with the teams I have to influence.

So far I really enjoy this approach to working, I am focused on the tasks I have to achieve and able to take a step back from the local politics which is the bit that ends up being all consuming and exhausting.

I enjoy being in the position where I am paid a daily rate and the feeling of flexibility with a greater control over my own destiny.

In essence I am being paid a lot more money to do the job I was doing in my substantive role in the NHS with a lot less unpleasant hassle and long may this continue!!!!!! 

Festival of Quilts.

I have taken my quilt making to a different level by entering one of my quilts into the ‘Festival of Quilts’ at the NEC in early August. The creation I shared was my quilt I made for my parents golden wedding anniversary, see below.

I encouraged my sister to also enter a quilt she made with the primary school children she is a teaching assistant in Thetford. My mum, Sandra, and Jerry’s mum, Pat, are both helpers in this craft class and attend school each week, as you can see are proud participants in the display of Sara’s school children’s quilt. 

Eastern Daily Press – my article.

When I was not working I was a parent-helper in Dylan’s class at school and then decided to write about my experience. The education editor at the EDP was very keen to print my article and I’m really pleased to say didn’t change any of the initial draft sent to him. If you are interested to see it the link is below, Enjoy!

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/what_i_learned_from_helping_out_at_my_son_s_primary_school_1_4171150