Comment / Match fit

As HFMA president Tony Whitfield says in his comment this month, the autumn is busy for the association – with a run of events and branch conferences. It all works up to a crescendo in December with our annual conference. This is an important event for the association and profession.

Not only does it provide an essential opportunity for the finance profession to hear from our senior leaders, but there is time – aside from the important networking – to recognise the best examples of how the finance profession has met the challenges facing the NHS. Our awards programme is an opportunity for a little well-deserved back patting – both for specific award winners and for the profession as a whole.

The challenges facing the service are considerable. There have always been, and there always will be, opportunities to deliver services better and more cost-effectively. But surely the scale of the current challenge is unprecedented.

The role in this for finance and for the HFMA is huge. But I am encouraged by our match fitness. As I land at Gatwick from attending another excellent Northern Irish conference, I can't help but reflect on the vibrancy of the association.  Everywhere I go, I see branch officials dedicated to the task: members who, for no pay and a lot of hassle, devote themselves unceasingly to the cause of healthcare finance. 

They are willing volunteers, happy to serve an organisation that has its members at heart, and they fill me with pride. Without them, the association simply would not operate. 

In Belfast, we talked about austerity (what else) and how we deal with it.  There's no doubt across all four nations there is a sense of trepidation about the future. However, there is also a real can-do attitude among our community and many are thinking differently about the challenge ahead. 

Our president has led the way with his theme of 'knowing  the business' – there is no doubt this has provided a clarion call for our members to think differently and develop a greater awareness of the frontline business of healthcare.

The programme of initiatives to support this programme has been impressive and we’ve had great feedback. Our thought leadership retreat in London recently was also successful – providing senior leaders with an opportunity to leave the pressures of the day job behind, reflect and develop. We will definitely run this event again next year.

The HFMA ‘machine’ rolls on. We still have Scotland and the Northern branch conferences before December’s national conference. The health service context means our annual event this year will assume even more importance. As usual, we will bring all the senior leaders together into one place to brief us and answer our questions. But it will also provide an opportunity to hear about plans to take the finance skills development agenda forward.

We have asked NHS England’s Mark Orchard to outline the thinking emerging from the new NHS Financial Leadership Council.  It is an important initiative – close to the heart of the HFMA – and the annual conference provides the right platform to showcase the proposals.