1 September 2023
Hi!
So, for those of you who worked with me through the early lockdown you’ll know I like my hats. I had a thing. The team I was working with at the time would always start the day or at least every other day, with a Teams call to check in with our mental health but also to deal with the next set of urgent demands placed upon the system by Covid. I decided to bring a bit of a talking point that wasn’t “Oh heck! The world is on fire again today!” so I would wear a different hat or fascinator to each one. I was surprised how long I could keep that going! Just how many did I have?!?! Wearing a hat reminds me of those times, good and… less good.
Looking ahead to September actually fills me with excitement again. Not that I wasn’t excited before but if you remember my analogy from August’s blog about sitting in two chairs – Sitting Pretty or Sitting Worrying; it seems that actions are driving the project forward again so tipping the scales less towards the worry chair.
There is still a large list of ‘To Dos’ but it feels that September could be the month to complete these, to wrap up the information in a neat bow and present it to whoever has that magic purse!
I’m on the way to having a pretty good PR video with some fab key speakers featured within it. This will include footage of the potential first site on the Olympic Legacy Park. I’m looking at two sites in Doncaster soon too, I’d really like to see if I can push the boundaries a little with this one and have a great location with a full GP Practice within it for seeing patients in the future.
The project has featured in 2 fantastic case study videos by Re:Course AI and BodySwaps filmed at the session we arranged for the PAs and GP trainees in June this year! They look great! Check out my LinkedIn to see them.
There is one thing on the list though that I’m hoping will come out of the seed funding I currently have and that’s the purchase of headsets and licences to access software. So, we can actually begin to make a real difference!
The testing has been a massively helpful, yet steep learning curve but it has led me to the point that we have to crack on and do this now and implement something good for the longer term! As a positive side effect, I found out that as a direct result of feedback and (I must point out) constructive criticism given by me and a couple of others, a major supplier has actually implemented our feedback into their digital scenarios and changed it to do what we’d suggested! How amazing is that!? It also proves the point that having people like me and other colleagues in the system as partners with the developers, we can make a much more lucrative and successful product, making it fit for purpose! Who knew!?
Going back to our purchasing decisions though. We’d start with headsets and access to BodySwaps which had a great evaluation. I need to make sure that I have the right headsets for BodySwaps but to also access other added pieces of software down the line; I need a device management package until I have a technician to do that for us and the ability to keep up with changes in the headset market. Through the minefield of choice and pricing structures, I need to find my way. It’s a big purchase and a big decision and I may not get it entirely right BUT I’ll know enough to make a great decision for now and for the near future…
I suppose this is what being a project manager is about for me. It not just about keeping traction or putting out the fires it’s about making sure you learn all that you can so you can influence those who make the big decisions. I have a vision; I can see it! I need to make sure that I have gathered all the evidence, the costs, the research and the data to offer solutions to the problems we face so that everyone else sees that vision too.
Wish me luck for a productive, clear-headed, decision-making September!
Hope you’ve had a great summer and thank you for following this story!
Liz
