I love finance – it is so much more than just numbers on a page. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in financial and management accounting roles in the public and private sectors, giving me a wide range of experience.
My department works directly with the different NHS divisions, but we now place greater emphasis than ever on how to support them. We are focusing on the quality and timing of data and our communication, while using more tools such as Power BI, but also reflecting on how we can become more efficient. Communication is key. As the team and the wider trust, we need to work together so we can draw on our knowledge and skills to overcome any challenge.
Decision-making is around how to provide an outstanding experience for patients
Being in the public sector is about managing taxpayers’ money. It’s not about making the biggest profit on a product. The decision-making is around how to provide an outstanding experience for patients, family and the community while managing the funding.
My favourite mantra is ‘Teamwork makes the dream work.’ It may be cheesy, but it is so true. Each team member brings different experiences, knowledge and skills, so by sharing these we can achieve more than we can alone.
If I had law-making powers, I would tackle accessibility to public services for the deaf community. It’s great that, in recent years, deafness and British Sign Language has had a higher profile, especially with the British Sign Language Act and deaf celebrities on TV, but there are still barriers to services in terms of understanding, access to interpreters and basic BSL skills. I would look to break these barriers down, making medical visits easier, more useful to the patient and a little less scary.
It’s important to come away from the numbers and see what is going on around the hospital
What I enjoy most about my job is going out and meeting people across the different areas I support, learning about what they do and developing relationships. I think it’s important to come away from the numbers from time to time and see what else is going on around the hospital. This helps me tailor the information I present, support the divisions and ensure the finances make sense to them.
In my spare time I enjoy craft hobbies. I like to learn new skills, so you might see me in an art gallery taking a course such as basket weaving or glass fusing. I also love languages, particularly BSL, which I continue to study. As I live in the countryside, I like finding new walks and getting out of the house with the dog.
