Comment / Carpe diem

The recent death of Robin Williams took me back to a range of entertaining films he starred in.  An early classic, Dead poets’
society, told the story of an unconventional teacher battling against colleagues who believed in old, uninspiring teaching methods. The lasting sentiment of that film was ‘Carpe diem – seize the day’, a concept that has inspired me through the many challenges in work
and in my own life.

I believe we have to seize the day every day and ensure we live out our own personal destinies. It’s important to have hope and remain committed to our jobs in a professional and conscientious way. That means hard work and dedication – and of course doing the right thing.

I’ve been struck by the number of colleagues stressed by the constant challenges they face. It’s glib of me to just say ‘seize the day’ and get on with it; I understand there are real pressures. However, we must stay focused, even when we can see  organisations previously considered rock-solid falling into trouble. 

The HFMA itself is continuing its mission to flag up the very real pressures on our members.  The recent Taking the temperature survey raised some of these issues and our policy director
Paul Briddock took to the airwaves and newsrooms to explain our position. 

I read recently on Twitter some critical remarks about the HFMA (from non-members) that perhaps we appeared a bit supine in the face of a worsening financial picture. Nothing could be further from the truth, but we choose to articulate our views and thoughts in a considered way befitting our professional body status. 

Sometimes it is the quiet rational voice that pays dividends. Take the flawed proposal from HMRC earlier in the year to stop organisations reclaiming VAT on contracted out services.  Through research and quiet negotiation, the HFMA was able to reverse a decision that would have cost the NHS millions of pounds. 

Choosing the right tactics will continue to be a feature of our work: the capacity to shout about something when we feel we ought to, combined with the reasoned and quiet pressure we can exert behind closed doors. We do appreciate members are under stress trying to balance the books. Not all have the opportunity to meet officials and provide direct feedback, which is why we are keen to hear evidence about what’s happening in your area.

So if you want to tell us what it’s like where you are or just let off steam, email us at [email protected]. We won’t use any material without your permission, but we would appreciate your feedback and intelligence. So come on: carpe diem – seize the day!