Let's settle into the secondment

Within the FMLM scheme, Clinical Fellows rank the host organisations available through the Scheme based on their preferences. The scoring of the interviews determines which host organisation the Fellow will be seconded to. After researching each of the host organisations, I found that the NHSE – Digital Transformation directorate aligned best with my interests. This year, 13 Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Clinical Fellows are placed in 10 different organisations. Both another Fellow and I were successful in securing our preferred placements at NHSE.

Moving from a frontline clinical role in the NHS to NHSE, one might wonder how significant the transition can be. The most substantial change I've made in my professional career so far was moving from the Netherlands to England. Starting with no prior social connections and adapting to a different working culture is not new to me. However, undergoing an onboarding process while working remotely is a new experience.

My equipment and system access arrived a few days before my start date. As I was setting up the systems, my 6-year-old challenged me, saying, 'Mum, you're not supposed to start work until Friday. What are you doing?' It was a great example of setting boundaries and curiosity ??.

The onboarding process involved meeting various program leads to gain an understanding of what the organisation is currently working on. Having another CPhO Clinical Fellow Amna Khan-Patel going through the same process was great, as we acted as each other's sounding boards, and it was generally helpful to have a friendly face on the other side of the screen.

After a week of meeting colleagues virtually from my spare bedroom, we were invited to the FMLM induction day in London. There, we met up with pharmacy, medical, dental, and sustainability fellows. It was nice to meet people you had been communicating with in person. The program put together was both inspiring and enjoyable. David Webb, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer of England, and Professor Stephen Powis, the National Medical Officer of NHS England, shared their leadership stories and their vision for the future. We were even challenged to express what leadership looks like using Lego and had the opportunity to meet four alumni.

We ended the day on a high note, with a group of Pharmacy Fellows enjoying a rooftop terrace beer and some pizza before heading home. Bonding over food was a great experience, and we agreed to schedule weekly coffee catch-ups over Teams.

As for my work at NHSE, it's a new experience for me to work in a matrix structure, and I'm now understanding the purpose of the multiple stand-ups during the week where teams update each other on progress, challenges, and priorities. Especially in a hybrid working environment, these regular check-ins are important. I've noticed how agile the teams are in responding to the reactive nature of the work. For example, there are instances when it's all hands on deck because the vaccination rollout timeline has been moved forward by four weeks or due to a clinical incident.

The team in which I am currently employed is tasked with overseeing the clinical safety of a variety of products, which include: the integration of features into the NHS App, portals that utilise NHS login for citizen credential verification, and NHS.net. The NHS App, by itself, boasts more than 30 million registered users, with its primary goal being to utilise digital technology to empower citizens in accessing healthcare services and data.

As one can well imagine, there is a substantial team dedicated to the maintenance of these systems, as well as the development of future features. During my interactions, I had the opportunity to meet with design architects, programmers, project leaders, and user researchers who collaborate closely with the clinical team. Clinical safety constitutes a fundamental aspect of health information technology (IT). With each iteration of a health IT product, safety assessments are conducted to identify, evaluate, and manage any clinical risks. I completed a course aimed at enhancing my understanding of the risk management associated with health IT software and I am looking forward to applying this newfound knowledge in my work.

The initial two weeks of the Clinical Fellowship felt like transitioning from a motorway to a 20-miles per hour zone. My mailboxes weren't overflowing, and there was no need to manage my diary. It was a period of many first impressions, and I had to adapt to increased screen time.

During the last couple of days, I experienced something akin to the mental equivalent of tapering in running. In long-distance running, athletes reduce their training distance and session frequency two weeks before the race to allow their bodies to rest and prepare for the big day. The first few days feels great; I could enjoy a few extra hours of sleep and maybe catch up on some reading. However, after that, I turn into a lethargic and moody person because running had turned me into a dopamine junkie. I feel revved up and ready to start contributing in a tangible way.

I'm confident that by the next update, I'll have crossed the starting line and will be reaching some important milestones.

Reflections:

• The twelve months are going to fly by. My tweetnotes will help me recap what I have done on a weekly basis & short reflection. Whilst a monthly blog on LinkedIn captures some themes.
• Learning is going to be steep with a group of highly intelligent and accomplished professionals around me.
• There is no such thing as over communicating.