I joined the NHS as a student nurse in October 1980 and for pretty much every day since then (I once left a job and went back within the month) I have worked for some NHS organisation or other. I have had managers who have reapplied (successfully) for their jobs, but I have to admit I never appreciated the stresses involved in the process, I also assumed in the past that only people who are inept, incompetent and inefficient didn’t get reappointed. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not without insight, but I do know the difference between people who are effective and those who are not.

Today was an insight into life as someone no one wanted to employ. I am of course not alone, and all over the county managers are suffering in the same way. Healthcare provision appears to be in crisis, clinical staff are the but of many people’s criticism and morale is rock bottom. Managers are often rightly blamed for the problems that occur within the NHS, but has anyone ever thought about whether poor healthcare delivery and low morale are linked? Everyone, like it or not, needs a manager. An effective worker is a better worker because of their manager, the support and guidance you receive is vital to the way you do your job, like it or not. But sadly people only notice if a manager is poor, and if that is the case then workers will struggle to perform.

My team are understandably devastated by what has happened with my job, as am I. But because I care about them, my main priority is to help them through the process and to prepare them for the changes ahead. My own future is uncertain, I have no actual job today, but that does not mean that I will leave them to it (as others have left me).

I finish on Thursday for Christmas, and it can’t come a day too soon. I need some time to rest and to reflect. More posts about my feelings on this process are on the way, plus I still have an assignment for my MSc to write!