Back to weeknoting after a break including a 2-week family holiday in Finland and St Petersburg. 1. What leadership teamwork did I see? Going away for two weeks at a critical time in our organisation change process has helped me appreciate the awesome people I work with even more. In particular, Eva and Richard dealt … Continue reading Weeknote: 19 to 23 August 2019
Weeknote: 22 to 26 July 2019
"The rights are there to help ensure that staff: have a good working environment with flexible working opportunities, consistent with the needs of patients and with the way that people live their lives have a fair pay and contract framework can be involved and represented in the workplace have healthy and safe working conditions and … Continue reading Weeknote: 22 to 26 July 2019
Weeknote: 15 to 19 July 2019
1. What inspired me this week? NHS.UK team members demonstrating some of the kit going into our new accessibility lab to the NHS Digital board. Board members tried on visual impairment simulation glasses and gloves for mobility impairment, and we had some great conversations about how to improve the experience of our digital services for … Continue reading Weeknote: 15 to 19 July 2019
Weeknote: 8 to 12 July 2019
A different weeknote format because I spent most of the week on the NHS Leadership Academy Nye Bevan Programme - a 3-day residential followed by a 1-day learning set meeting. I'm learning loads, from the course directors Naomi and Majid, the guest faculty, our learning set facilitator Caroline, and of course all my peers in … Continue reading Weeknote: 8 to 12 July 2019
Weeknote: 1 to 5 July 2019
1. What inspired me this week? A post by Zoe, one of our graduate trainees: 6 things I learned in 6 months as a user researcher. The NHSx launch, and in particular the news that Hadley is joining the new organisation as acting CTO. Reading recommendations from practice leads on requests from people across the … Continue reading Weeknote: 1 to 5 July 2019
Weeknote: 24 to 28 June 2019
1. What leadership teamwork did I see? Loads! I worked with Helen, Karen and Jayne to put together a strategy day on Tuesday for our exec director Wendy and her product directors. (Thanks to Futuregov for hosting us, and to Dominic Campbell for an inspiring talk to kick the day off.) I reached into my … Continue reading Weeknote: 24 to 28 June 2019
Weeknote: 17 to 21 June 2019
1. What inspired me this week? On Monday evening I went to a brilliant Digital Leaders Week event hosted by Victoria Betton at Co>Space North, to learn more about issues of diversity and inclusion in technology. (I hope this partly atoned for having dropped out of a staff network event on the same topic earlier … Continue reading Weeknote: 17 to 21 June 2019
Weeknote: 10 to 14 June 2019
1. What do I need to take care of? Late on Friday, I finally got access to some data I need so I can work on our organisation change proposal. I need to give that as much time and attention as I possibly can next week. Partly because of that, I had to make a … Continue reading Weeknote: 10 to 14 June 2019
Weeknote: 3 to 7 June 2019
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
Worlds colliding – reflections 2 years into my work at NHS Digital
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
Weeknote: 13 to 17 May 2019
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
Challenges and changes – some notes for a panel session on delivering services
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
Weeknote: 7 to 10 May 2019
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
Mostly service design: the health and care edition
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
Weeknote: 29 April to 3 May 2019
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
