Tell us a little about your role?
I have recently started as the Quality and Patient Safety lead within NHS Forth Valley. This is an exciting role supporting all staff to continually strive to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of care for all those who access our services, ensuring the care provided meets their needs. I am part of a team of improvement advisors and facilitators that work to inspire, encourage and support improvement to the systems and delivery of care so that it is person centred, safe, efficient, and effective.
What is your career experience to date?
I have been working as a nurse, mainly within cardiology, for the last 30 years. In that time, I have worked in a variety of settings including acute, specialist roles, primary care, further and higher education, third sector and private health care. My last role was in Public Health Scotland as the National Cardiac Coordinator, implementing the Scottish Cardiac Audit Programme.
We designed the audit programme with people with heart disease from the beginning, so they had an equal say with the clinicians as to what the audit contained. I feel incredibly proud of having achieved this and I am convinced this is by far the best and most efficient way to design services within health care. I worked in the unscheduled care team a few years ago in NHS Forth Valley and I am I’m delighted to be back in Forth Valley among friends and likeminded colleagues.
What plans have you got in the pipeline?
I am passionate about listening to people with lived experience of health conditions and involving patients in designing and improving health services from the outset.
I believe that in order to provide first class care that meets the needs of our population, we need to ask people “what matters to you” and then work with them to deliver the care that meets those needs. We need to protect and support our talented workforce, now more than even, so my team are keen to drive forward change that improves the experience of staff experiences at work as happy staff leads to good care.
How difficult is to engage staff in quality and safety?
All our staff in Forth Valley have chosen to work within health and social care because we share some core values; that we aim to deliver a high-quality services and safe, person-centred care to all our patients.
As we are all striving for the same goal, if we focus on the similarities, engagement around quality and safety should naturally evolve! However, I am aware that we need to make ourselves more visible and accessible.
Sporty or bookish?
Regrettably not as active as I really should be so perhaps that could be an improvement project I try on myself!
Top of your playlist and why?
The Gambler by Kenny Rodgers, so many good nights out have ended with this song being belted out!
Signature dish?
I’m not the most adventurous cook but feel I can make a good (or should that be supper?) soup.
How would you describe your real self?
That’s so difficult but I do enjoy quiet nights in much more than party nights out.
Traveller or home bird?
A little bit of both. I worked in New Zealand, many years ago, so like to make a trip back there to visit friends and always make a visit to the hospital I worked in with a few stop overs on the way.
What makes you happy?
I babysit for 4-year-old twins at the weekend and spending time with them makes me so happy, but also very exhausted! I also love house interiors and spend way too much time on Instagram watching videos of people upcycling their homes and sharing some of my amateur attempts!
Big ambition?
As a nurse I have always just wanted to make a difference and to do what I can to make things better for staff and patients. That may not be one big lifechanging innovation, but I will be happy if its lots of days of making a little improvement that can add up to years of making a difference.
Within my new role, I would love the Quality Improvement team to be known by staff as a great go-to Team. A team who are supportive, productive, and knowledgeable– a valued and valuable resource!
