On Pledging and Change at St Emlyn’s

z5Oqb4gh4iNVPCgohjrmL0DDTouMWUPB6l8cZZ60-4kYou might not have heard of NHS Change Day but it needs you.

Because – and let’s be honest here – the care that we deliver isn’t always as good as it could be. We all know that. And it can be frustrating. Most of us didn’t decide to work in the NHS for the money – we are here because we want to make things better for people and look after those who need us. But we know that our services are stretched and delivering the kind of care we want to provide just seems to get harder and harder.

Change Day isn’t about complaining about the negative aspects of the NHS; it’s about changing them.

It starts with you, whoever you are, seeing a way to make things better, pledging to make that change, sharing your pledge, actually making it happen – and in doing so, inspiring others to realise that the NHS belongs to all of us who make it what it is. And because we make it, we can make it better.

A New Perspective

I often joke about my terrible sense of direction. It will come as no surprise to you then to hear that the career path I’ve chosen means I can always find my way to my department (the signs are always the big red ones; and if in doubt, I can follow an ambulance). When people stop me in the hospital corridor to ask for directions I do the best I can – which is usually to direct them to a map.

When I went to the NHS Change Day 2014 launch in London in early November 2013, it quickly became apparent that not only was my awareness of the hospital’s physical space outside the Emergency Department limited, my perception of the issues was too. I met some truly inspiring individuals from all disciplines of the NHS, clinical and non-clinical, at all levels, in all regions. I realised quickly that one of the biggest barriers to making NHS care the best it can be is the mental one we generate ourselves.

Care: At the Sharp End

photoI have a couple of Change Day pledges and you’ll hear more about them in due course. Today, one week from Change Day, I’m asking you to think about it. There must be something that winds you up about the way your department works. It needn’t be a small thing either – there are chief executives pledging to improve things in their trusts.

Change Day 2014, next Monday (March 3rd), is your opportunity to take action to make things better.

It’s not too late to take part in this year’s Change Day. Perhaps you feel small or you think your idea is – I promise you, it isn’t. Taking ownership of the care we provide and feeling proud of the NHS can make the real difference to our patients. Be inspired. Be inspiring. Make a pledge.

 

To find out more about NHS Change Day 2014, visit the website or read this blog by Damian Roland.

Cite this article as: Natalie May, "On Pledging and Change at St Emlyn’s," in St.Emlyn's, February 24, 2014, https://www.stemlynsblog.org/pledging-change-st-emlyns/.

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