Back to weeknotes after a 2-week pause to reflect on my past 6 months at NHS Digital. I've tweaked the questions I ask myself so they focus on some things that are important to me as part of my NHS Leadership Academy Nye Bevan Programme. 1. What inspired me this week? NHS.UK show and tell, … Continue reading Weeknote: 3 to 7 June 2019
In a breakout room to the side of the Service Design in Government conference in Edinburgh, with a floor to ceiling view of Arthur’s Seat and a lawn where alpacas were led to graze, I chatted about service maps with a small group of my brilliant NHS Digital colleagues. I felt a little guilty keeping … Continue reading Worlds colliding – reflections 2 years into my work at NHS Digital
1. What inspired me this week? The GDS Sprint Leeds event: So many of my favourite people were there! There were service jammers, GDS people, DWP people, Leeds City Council people, NHS people. I've known many of them for years, but in separate bubbles. Seeing Eve Roodhouse and Lisa Jeffery co-hosting the event at the … Continue reading Weeknote: 13 to 17 May 2019
I was on a panel at the Digital Urgent & Emergency Care Conference, brilliantly chaired by Emma Mulqueeny. I wrote these notes as prompts for my contribution. Not everything here came up in the discussion but I thought the notes worth sharing anyway... The NHS Long Term Plan reflects society’s expectations of technology in all … Continue reading Challenges and changes – some notes for a panel session on delivering services
1. What inspired me this week? Sarah, one of our brilliant Digital Services Delivery graduates has completed her two years on the scheme and is joining the NHS website team as a delivery manager. Seeing pictures of our NHS design principles in the wild - on the wall at Surrey & Borders Partnership and on … Continue reading Weeknote: 7 to 10 May 2019
In 2015, Tom Loosemore asked if anyone had written a blog post about how “most of government is mostly service design most of the time”. I couldn’t find one, so I wrote it myself. Thanks in large part to a link from the awesome UK government design principles, that post has been viewed more than … Continue reading Mostly service design: the health and care edition
1. What goals were met? Confirmed the start date for our new lead user researcher for NHS.UK. Looking forward to having them on the team. Job adverts went live for internal applications for 1 senior user researcher and 2 user researchers - all of them vital roles on NHS.UK. 2. What goals were set? Likely … Continue reading Weeknote: 29 April to 3 May 2019
Some different questions than usual this week, because 3 out of 4 days were on the residential for the Bevan Programme. There was loads to take in and many productive conversations with my fellow cohort members, which made it worth the decision to stay in the residential hotel even though it was only a few … Continue reading Weeknote: 23 to 26 April 2019
A four-day week. Phew! 1. What goals were met? This morning (Bank Holiday Friday) I submitted the final version of my first piece of written work for the NHS Leadership Academy Bevan Programme. I'm grateful for the detailed feedback of my learning set peers, who now have to decide whether it makes the grade. In … Continue reading Weeknote: 15 to 19 April 2019
Another short week because I took Thursday and Friday off. 1. What inspired me this week? The openness of the conversations in our product development directorate all hands events. Our exec director, Wendy, and her directors are responsible for more than 600 people between them, so I'm sure their decision to run these events multiple … Continue reading Weeknote: 8 to 10 April 2019
A couple of conversations recently made me realise I should write this down. Jane tweeted: "Public Sector Digital peeps, what is now the best definition of a ‘Service’ for people not used to working in our world? The end-to-end journey which enables a user to ‘do a thing’ - am sure many have put it … Continue reading What I mean when I talk about service
A 3.5 day week at work because I took Thursday afternoon and Friday off and went to a play with my family. 1. What goals were met? the NHSX website launch! Testament to the power of making things open and investing in teams. 2. What inspired me this week? The first Leeds Accessibility meet-up. … Continue reading Weeknote: 1 to 4 April 2019
1. What inspired me this week? Meeting up with my learning set peers on the NHS Leadership Academy Bevan Programme. Our set facilitator, Caroline, is incredibly skilled at creating the conditions for safe and productive conversations Extended senior leadership team meeting with Wendy, our inspirational exec director The NHS.UK team taking a sprint out of … Continue reading Weeknote: 25 to 29 March 2019
1. What inspired me this week? Seeing Caroline working with Zoe, a graduate who has just moved into the NHS website redesign team. When we put skills transfer into our contractors' outcomes, we really mean it. FutureGov kicking off their work with our Urgent and Emergency Care team in London, while simultaneously in Leeds Tero, Rochelle … Continue reading Weeknote: 18 to 22 March 2019
I’m trying a different format for weeknotes to see if I can be more consistent in keeping up with them if I limit myself to a few simple questions. Thanks to Sam Villis for the definitive survey of weeknote styles which I’ve used to choose this format. If I'm doing it right, the questions will … Continue reading Weeknote: 11 to 15 March 2019
Matt Edgar writes here 