What No Contract. The Summer of 2024!

At the time of starting to write this post I am on the cusp of my next contract of work, employed from Steggles Consultancy Ltd, my company. It has been such along time with no contract and quite a mixture of emotions over the past 4+ months. 

In my world of healthcare it has been pretty clear its going to change, firstly with the Tories scrapping around saving morsels of money reflective in the total NHS head count of people employed. Then when the new government came in, the labour lack of drive, direction and the world stood still. As many people like me were not being employed, although desperate to support the forever breaking NHS as shared out in front of us!

What is my work? 

I continue to be a registered nurse and am employed in the capacity of 'non-elective pathway' expert, usually in the hospital wards to discharge teams with system colleagues beyond the hospital. The aim being to improve the patients timeliness and experience of discharge home once the doctor says the patient is medically fit to leave. 

The way it works! 

The hospital decides they need some additional support to improve the delivery of their teams. The hospital leaders speak to interim/consultancy agencies who then seek out the expertise to meet that need, employ the individual or team to meet the contract objectives over a given period of time, usually a  number of months. Contract ends, objectives are met and I move on to the next assignment in a different location.

What do I get out of working in this manner? 

I always have a challenge and have the ability to wheedle myself in to well established teams, persuading teams to tweak their processes to enable significant gains and improve patient flow through the hospital wards to home. I work with some great people, improve the way individuals and their teams work, then move on.

My recent contracts have been at a North London hospital, although a pretty tough contract due to the politics between teams, the programme had a bumpy beginning which turned into a great steer through the politics. The parting words I received from the team I worked closest with was, '...I brought the sunshine into their team...' The contract previous was for a South London hospital when we made really significant progress with a great team of people, pictures of my send off below!

With the Discharge Team, Matron & Divisional Clinical Director

What is it like away from home all week, you might ask!

In my most recent contract I kept myself busy. I do a lot of walking and recently had regular sessions of Pilates, lots of trips to the cinema just down the road. I met up with Connor and Emily a few times and we dined somewhere different each time, really nice to have a bit of home from home company. Ate out with my work colleagues a few times too, turned into celebratory spotting on a Monday evening a group from Eastenders partied, spotted the characters Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) then later joined by Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan). Then close to the hospital was a small fringe theatre, 'Upstairs at the Gatehouse', before I left I watched a play, 'A Word for Mother', interesting view of three sisters perspectives of their relationship with their mother. It struck a cord being the eldest of five siblings!

Couldn't stop myself taking a picture of this car in the hospital car park, don't know who it belonged to other than Mr Horny!

Took a bit of time visiting Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath, really quite beautiful, stunning foxgloves, but the rhododendrons were disappointing when compared to our Norfolk Sherringham Park, on the North Norfolk coast!

Kenwood House front garden

View from Kenwood House viewing point, looking at London City

A summer of no contract brought a huge sigh to get off the forever turning hamster wheel. Did lots of 'mum' stuff which Dylan has thoroughly enjoyed as I am up with the alarm clock; breakfasts of pancakes, fried egg on toast or of peanut butter on toast with the odd bacon sarnie before school. Its been really pleasurable being around to collect him from school too, such enormous views of our Norfolk in the summer.

Getting jobs done like painting the fences & shed, along with sorting cupboards and excess caravan contents, with the odd down time watching Netflix movies in the afternoon mid-week, a moment of naughty. 

A key activity which assisted in keeping me sain was joining Hingham Pickleball club. Learnt through trial and the odd lesson, attending up to 3 times a week, lots of activity getting sweaty with an accomplishment of doing something.  

Next key activity has been being more operationally involved with Hingham Community Cupboard. I am the Treasurer and have been for the past year, over this period we got more involved in exercising my project process skills, starting with converting a changing room at the sports hall by constructing shelving. This has made such a difference to how the Cupboard now functions. Jerry supports every week with hosting the cake eating and conversation, Dylan gets involved in the holidays with shopping and hosting at the cupboard when others are away.

Shelving both sides of the room, shelving cut & donated by a local company.

Then we did other stuff a lot during the week because we could which included much lunching, which was really refreshing and uplifting although did take sometime to get use to and relax with a different pace. 

Here goes;

Puffins. A trip to Bridlington specifically to see the Puffins, who nest in Bempton Cliffs and leave late July. Great fish and chips, quite stunning bird life and Puffins once we could see them, watch the video.

Grimes Graves had an open weekend, a significant flint mines of its time, with re-enactment of its period & international presenters

Flint knapping

Making string with reeds

Skinning a squirrel

Communal tent

Then we were presented with a hairbrush made from hedgehog spikes!

Plane Watching at Lakenheath was a surprisingly popular activity by many, quite an immense experience in the space of jet engines, fabulous opportunity for some different photography, watch the video below.

Porchse Meeting, at Old Buchenham Country Park became really interesting when we bumped into Jake and his spectacular purple porchse and his mate had the lime green porchse. I really enjoy this picture with such a highly polished car reflecting the clouds supported by a bloke pose, hands in pockets smiling at the car.

Fendick Show. A new adventure for us as we ventured to a village in the fens, a place we hadn't heard of and Jerry could chat with one of his YouTube hero's, 'Norfolk Man Cave' Adam Fenn. Yes its as painful as it sounds, all about fixing antiquated engines, in my view need to be dumped! Saying all that it was a pleasant space, very local show with a bit of everything including bumping into a very old friend from Jerry's teenage years, Will.

Yep a couple of old teenagers - Jerry with Will

Norfolk Man Cave on his Bowser, brought back to life!

Thats the modern way to fill your steam truck with fuel!

Its all about the engines, coughing and spluttering. Riverting!

Its been along time since I have seen these old carts, enjoyed seeing so many together.

Summer Holidays. Dylan is off and we catch up with some friends in preparation of Milo & Rebecca's wedding.

Saying hello to Uncle Glenn & Aunty Jen, on Jen's birthday.

Day trip to raise a glass with our caravan buddies, Max & Libby, but Sharon is the only one with wine, no surprises!

Love a LaBone Sherringham curry, obviously with Libby & Maz because thats what always happens.

Ahh a visit to Geoff and Mandy for scumptious pizzas

Boys playing ball & cuddles, Milo the dog!

Life skills lessons. Teenage boy guidance in how to clean his toilet & sink, ironing his t-shirts, practicing cooking mince meals, bit of housework, then jobs! At moments a painfil experience for all involved but he did it, with lots of sorting of his old toys & lego.

Fun time too after all that cleaning, riffle shooting over at Holt Woodland club.

One important job the Best Man (Dylan) had to do was organise the Stag Do, so we went to sample the Boom Battle Bar, lots of fun. A whole school holiday considering the Best Man speech then to practice the delivery, from the front door to us at the other end of the house, bless him! With a number of trips to Leadenhall Tailoring in Norwich to enjoy the impressive attention delivered by Jason, a great experience for our men folk.

Crasier Golf, Shuffle board and Axe Throwing

Essex holiday. Dylan takes a holiday break with Val & Matthew an easy ride on the train when he is spolit rotten and over indulged in an ongoing Monopoly game. We caught up at Colchester Zoo and had a gorgeous family time with little Alfie and his Grandma Kay (Val's sister). See this sweet video of friendship between Alfie and Dylan.

Day out to London. I asked Dylan and his mate Austin what would they like to do in London, they came up with to go to The Globe to see a bit of Shakespeare. Surprised? Yes whilst delighted as we enjoyed a family show called 'Rough Magic' in surroundings reflecting what the audience perhaps might of experienced; seating was benches, element of candle lighting & the audience included in the performance. Poor Austin tried desperately to avoid eye contact and got caught as a performing wizard to have influence over his fellow auidence, highly embrassed teenager, but he did it. Such good fun with booked lunch at The Anchor, bit of wandering by the Thamas, and then a new experience ordering and using an uber. How grown up am I!

Kayaking. With all that 'sorting' we found our old kayacks from many years ago, a bit battered from furry mammal gnawing, so quite surprising when they inflated as the boat bladders were still in good order. We took ourselves off to Linford Water and had ago. Dylan blasted off with a wobbly nervy mum in toe, with his kind approach of being right beside me I was enjoying the experience too. Managed to fit in a couple of trips before the end of the holidays, wonderful freedom.

Year 10 (in old school years 4th year) of High School.

New Contract.

Then at last at the very end of October I am successful with my next contract, an exciting new venture delivered in Norfolk and Waveney (yep HOME!!), with a private diagnostics company called TIC Health supporting the delivery of Lung Cancer Screening Programme. A different delivery of my skill set supporting the NHS, an exciting progressive programme pushing the boundaries of technology. One of my first tasks is to review the potential locations to place the screening trucks with supporting units, taking 22 car park spaces. A breast screening unit in your local supermarket sits across 6 car park spaces. Definately something different.

Finally as I recieved a pay-packet after 5 months, I celebrated with my nearest & dearest for Sunday Lunch.

If you have enjoyed my few words and pictures, then please do let me know by replying to my email message or leave a comment on the blog if you can. 

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