1. Something changed On 5 July 2018, the National Health Service turned 70. I was exactly 13 months into my own time with the service. According to my calendar, on that day I: met Lisa from GDS, attended the NHS website fortnightly show and tell, chaired the design governance board, took my cat to the … Continue reading Being bolder – reflections 18 months into my work at NHS Digital
I was honoured to be invited to talk at Health Product People at the Department of Health and Social Care this week, especially so because I was on the same bill as Hadley, Ian and Kassandra, all of whom were brilliant. I loosely titled my talk “Stop disempowering people.” (Thanks to Ian for photo of me … Continue reading Stop disempowering people – a talk at Health Product People
Video of the talk... https://youtu.be/kMCyNztqj2s Opening video: Abridged version of Your very good health, Public info film (NHS) 1948 I wanted you to see that film - 70 years old this year - because its promise, of universal healthcare, free at the point of need, is as relevant today as in 1948. But much has changed in … Continue reading The promise of understanding – a talk at Interact 2018
A couple of Saturdays ago, still buzzing from a week of NHS website and service manual launches, and the NHS Expo, I took part in my first UK Health Camp. I learned loads, put faces to names I’d long followed from afar, and posed a question of my own to a windowless basement room full … Continue reading Brains trust: notes from my session at UK Healthcamp
On my holiday, I started reading into some topics I ought to know more about: artificial intelligence, genomics, healthcare, and the fast approaching intersection of the above. Here follow some half-baked reckons for your critical appraisal. Please tell me what’s worth digging into more. Also where I’m wrong and what I might be missing. 1. … Continue reading AI, black boxes, and designerly machines
How was OneTeamGov Global? Pure luxury! The chance to spend a day in the company of 500+ people who share the same simple, highly motivating principles. A movement so nicely positioned; both inside and outside; #OfTheGovernment, not owned by the Government. A show of strength in numbers. We filled the QE2 Centre! Now nobody need ever … Continue reading A community with no mandate, united by our principles – OneTeamGov goes Global
Earlier this year I set out to understand more about the history of the National Health Service. As well as reading some books recommended by colleagues, I've picked up a few original 1948 documents from online auctions. Some archaic language aside, they're as fresh and relevant today as they were 70 years ago. Exhibit 1: … Continue reading 5 July 1948: A chance and a challenge
Other people's jobs are endlessly fascinating. At a birthday celebration a couple of years ago I got talking to Johnny, a family friend who works as an aquarium curator. He told me a surprising thing about his work: how little of his time he spends actually looking after the fish. Johnny's job is to look … Continue reading “Look after the water” – reflections 1 year into my work at NHS Digital
I started writing weeknotes soon after I joined NHS Digital as head of design in June 2017. I find it a good discipline for me to reflect on my week, and to make sure I’m making progress against my own and my team’s objectives. Because groups of colleagues congregate in different virtual places, I settled on posting … Continue reading Weeknote: 14 to 18 May 2018
I started writing weeknotes soon after I joined NHS Digital as head of design in June 2017. I find it a good discipline for me to reflect on my week, and to make sure I’m making progress against my own and my team’s objectives. Because groups of colleagues congregate in different virtual places, I settled on posting … Continue reading Weeknote: 7 to 11 May 2018
Mick Ward is sick of people trying to sell him electric woks. As chief officer leading transformation and innovation for social care in Leeds, he sees a never-ending procession of providers claiming to solve enduring human problems with expensive, complicated, isolated, digital solutions. Mick believes we'd do better to start with people and their communities, … Continue reading Electric woks or eating together? Time for human-centred designers to care about the community
I started writing weeknotes soon after I joined NHS Digital as head of design in June 2017. I find it a good discipline for me to reflect on my week, and to make sure I'm making progress against my own and my team's objectives. Because groups of colleagues congregate in different virtual places, I settled … Continue reading Weeknote: 30 April to 4 May 2018
Service design in the public sector is, as Lou says, 10% innovation and 90% archaeology, and never more so than when working in a great national institution in its 70th year. Realising I needed to learn more about the history of our National Health Service, I asked the Twitter crowd where to start. Here's what … Continue reading Anyone can use it: some NHS history links and reading
This is part two of some personal reflections on my first six months at NHS Digital. Catch up on part one here. The design team we need. Many of our designers are highly motivated by the mission of the NHS. They must also be critical friends. Friends don’t let friends settle for second best when … Continue reading Reflections 6 months into my work at NHS Digital – part 2
Today it's six months since I started at NHS Digital. Along the way, I've written a bit about how we work on the NHS Digital Transformation Blog. For today though, I wanted to share some personal reflections here on my personal blog. I'll do it in two parts, starting with the digital experience we deliver, … Continue reading Reflections 6 months into my work at NHS Digital – part 1
Matt Edgar writes here 