It’s cold, it’s damp and it’s wet. But this project is still giving me reason to be cheerful.
 
During one week recently, getting towards the end of my project, alongside core members of the stroke redesign project team, I visited a community stroke service demonstrating the kind of model we want to introduce across Leicester. A dedicated group of 10 of us boarded a minibus in the early hours to journey to Portsmouth.
 
We were enthusiastic about what we’d be able to see in action and what we’d be able to learn to ensure the success of our service improvement. And what sheer inspiration we found when we got there.
 
We talk about needing clinical leaders in the NHS to help secure our longer term sustainability in the leaner years to come. Well we found one here. Nothing was too much trouble for this lady. She led, inspired, challenged and supported her team. A real ‘can do’ approach enabled her to push the boundaries of continuous service improvement and challenge more traditional thinking on managing clinical risk.

Applying an ‘in-reach’ model, her mantra is: ‘Why is this person in hospital?’ She is motivated by the day’s operational problems and her energy levels were constant. We were more tired from asking a multitude of questions on how the service worked than she was answering them.
 
This ethos has enabled her to improve local health outcomes for people with stroke. She’s reduced readmissions and reduced the numbers and intensity of residual social care packages. Patient and carer satisfaction levels have never been higher. The approach has resulted in reducing costs and a seamless service for stroke survivors and their carers as both health and social care needs are provided at the same time by the same people. Her management style asserts continual learning and empowerment. Her passion will ensure that the team never falter in their drive for improvement.
 
By the time we got back on our minibus for the long journey home, the commissioners among us were ready to change the world. How exhilarating to spend the day with a clinical leader who has it all and the ambition to achieve even more.