I know it sounds a real cliché, but I joined the NHS because I liked the idea of helping people and saving lives. Although all the placements I’ve done have been totally different, what they all have in common is the genuine commitment of everyone I’ve worked with and the way the environment is constantly changing.

Nottinghamshire is a very interesting place to work because of the mix of patients. Some areas have high levels of deprivation and that makes planning healthcare services so they are equal and accessible to everyone much more challenging.

At NHS Nottinghamshire County, I project managed a new system for Pseudonymisation across three PCTs. Pseudonymisation means using anonymous data for secondary uses [such as finance or analysis] by using pseudonyms to protect the patient’s identity. This was a huge project given the amount of data involved.

As a Project Manager, there’s always something unexpected cropping up, which means there’s no such thing as a typical day! However, I’ll normally get in around 8 to 8.30am, check my emails and grab a coffee before the office gets too busy. Then the rest of my day could involve anything from meeting GPs and clinicians or planning an implementation to carrying out project work or updating documentation. I’ll always try to finish by 5.30pm so I can catch up on my university work – maybe doing some research or writing an assignment.

On top of studying for my MSc in Health Informatics, I’ve taken part in a wide range of management training courses. So as well as broadening my knowledge of the wider issues relating to health informatics, I’ve been able to develop my leadership skills. The on-the-job training has been great for my professional development too, because of all the different people I’ve encountered.

My greatest achievement so far? Finishing a project for my flexi placement organisation to the brief and on time. And getting great feedback from them!

I’d love to continue my career in the NHS and my ambition is to be a Director of Informatics or CIO for an NHS Trust. If you’re thinking of a management career in Healthcare you should definitely apply and seize the opportunities offered to you on your placements. You only get out as much as you put in, so if you really challenge yourself, it can be a great experience.

I joined the NHS because I wanted to improve patient care and develop my career in a rewarding environment. I’d already done various temp jobs in a London hospital, so I wasn’t completely unprepared, but once I started the scheme I soon realised I had a lot to learn! It’s given me the chance to work in a very big, diverse organisation, with dynamic and inspiring colleagues, during a particularly exciting time because of all the changes taking place. And I don’t think I’d have got the same sense of job satisfaction anywhere else.

The South West is a great place to live and work but it also faces the same challenges as the rest of the UK, with ageing populations putting a strain on resources. Although I spend most of my time here I often travel around the country for lectures and conferences.

At Salisbury FT I designed and built clinical applications such as digital image storing to help clinicians using a system called Excelicare. This was a great project as I was involved at every stage - from flying to Glasgow to learn how to build applications to running user training sessions!

My normal day could include anything from discussing system specifications, attending project meetings and writing reports to preparing business cases. I’m about to start a new placement in Bristol which will involve working on a range of projects such as information governance and capacity planning – sometimes at directorate level. My proudest achievement so far has been developing a system for Salisbury hospital, working with rheumatology clinicians. The system collects data in real time during clinics to calculate disease activity scores: saving nursing time and improving accuracy. Patients can also get their results printed on the spot instead of having to wait for a letter.

One big advantage of the graduate scheme is that you can tailor your placements to your own personal development plan. There’s also a great support network. I’ve been able to develop my project management and leadership skills and I’ll use them to further my career.

I’d recommend the scheme to anyone who wants an exciting learning experience. It’s a great chance to improve patients’ experiences, progress your career and work with truly inspiring people.

Following my studies, I chose to take a three-month sabbatical before working for a temping agency, and I was lucky to be given the kind of roles where I could build working relationships with various NHS staff. I got my first NHS contract while working for a family health clinic. The clinic received an internal fax from the local primary care trust (PCT) advertising for a primary care information facilitator and, having been fully supported and encouraged to apply, the rest as they say is history.

I am currently working through a programme of specific roles within different directorates of a PCT to build on my informatics background and supplement it with an understanding of how other roles use and require health informatics to deliver advanced commissioning. I am based within the strategy directorate, planning and managing practice based commissioning (PBC) projects. My work includes working collaboratively with members of the PBC team to ensure a framework is developed to support future commissioning intentions and to enable the management of consortia business plans against local, strategic and national objectives. I’m also responsible for ensuring that the plans of the Strategy Team are met by enabling analytical support and joint working with the PCT Performance Team.

One of the highlights of my NHS career has been as a member of several chronic disease “champions” groups, specialising in chronic heart disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The model of the group and the outcomes delivered were such that, at the HSJ 2006 annual awards, we won the Chronic Disease Management Award and the overall Secretary of State’s award for Excellence in Healthcare Management. And also, the scheme has been a highlight as it puts me in a position to influence the delivery of Health informatics management in the modern NHS.

I have high expectations of myself as I want and expect health informatics management to be the key stone to support all future NHS work. In the long term I would hope to be leading the future NHS through advancements in informatics management, knowledge sharing and access. The short term challenge is to position myself in such a way that I can influence and affect current thinking, practices and processes.

I joined the scheme straight from University, mainly because I had made a conscious decision to follow in both my parent’s footsteps and work in the public sector. What attracted me specifically to the NHS was its ability to affect everyone in the county in a profound way and the clearly tangible benefits of service improvement.

My decision to join the informatics management scheme was mainly down to circumstance but I am more than happy to have joined a new and exciting scheme in an arena of healthcare management that is rapidly growing in importance and visibility.

I’m currently a data quality officer, working to ensure all practices support the accurate and consistent recording and flow of data. At the end of this placement, I’ll have produced a framework and put all the relevant measures and procedures in place to ensure good data quality and which will eventually form part of a service level agreement with our partners.

My very first challenge was getting my head around how the NHS is organised and how information flows to support this complex organisation. Working in information, you can’t afford to view anything in isolation, so an understanding of the relationships between different organisations is vital to help improve the use of information in the NHS. Gaining this knowledge has been key to enabling me to do constructive work, so I consider it a big achievement.

After I finish the scheme I hope to take a ‘sidestep’ into more operational management but in a role where I can use my experience in informatics management to directly improve clinical outcomes. Being at the start of my career, I expect the next five years to have a big impact on the path that I choose, and so I’m determined to gain a broad range of experience and make the most of any opportunities that come my way.

Beyond the next five years I hope to have a long, enjoyable career making a positive contribution to the NHS!

I joined the scheme because I was motivated by the opportunity to get involved in the IT and various software projects currently being implemented in NHS through NpFit and Connecting for Health. I wanted to use the skills and knowledge I gained through my masters and the scheme appeared to provide the opportunities.

I am currently placed with ‘North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust’ as a Junior Business Analyst. I work alongside two Senior Business Analysts assisting them in various projects and reports. I’m also responsible for a few projects right from seeking approval from the Programme Board to Benefits realisation. I also share Data Quality, Information Governance, Policy Documentation, Database Warehousing and Reporting responsibilities with my other colleagues.

I started my Masters Thesis alongside my first placement and it was extremely challenging juggling both these demanding roles, so I’m very proud that I scored a ‘Distinction’. I am also very pleased that a Business Proposal I wrote about developing a Children’s Website creating awareness about First Aid and Ambulance Services has been approved for further development. My proposal was appreciated at Executive and Non Executive Directorial level which gave me a big boost. I also successfully managed a pilot Capacity Management project between the Ambulance Trust and an Acute Trust. It was a great experience which taught me a lot about various technical and people issues in NHS with regards to growing demand on services. I’ve also written – and had approved - two policies; Safe Havens Policy and Data Quality Policy.

I’m still unsure about my future direction as I’m still exploring all business aspects of the NHS and I haven’t yet decided on a particular career pathway. However, my interests currently lie in Commissioning, Information Management, IT Procurement and IT Project Management.

Whichever stream I choose, in next five years I hope to be in a Senior Position where I can make a significant contribution to the trust I would be working for and above all to the overall health and satisfaction of the patients.

I originally started my career in healthcare communications after graduating, but there just weren’t any prospects there for me. I really missed working in healthcare but I still had high ambitions. The NHS offered me the altruistic approach I was looking for, plus the chance to build a successful career.

Working here is unlike anything I ever expected. I’ve met many talented, highly capable colleagues who have inspired and guided me and I’ve worked on projects that will make a real difference to staff and patients. Being based in the area I was born and raised in – with professionals that have treated and will continue to treat me – gives the job an amazing sense of reality and impact.

In my first role I worked on a programme to improve integration across care organisations, implementing a national framework for common assessments in health and social care and facilitating the sharing of information. A big part of the job was developing relationships with commissioners and providers, using technical and governance knowledge to make recommendations as well as carrying out project and change management work.

Life is pretty varied, but a normal day might involve checking my emails, writing a business case or creating a savings dashboard for the Director of Finance. I also spend a lot of time in meetings and travelling.

The training and development has been exceptional. I’ve had a great support network and the chance to work on big, topical projects and study at one of the best universities in the world. My biggest achievements so far have been getting a mark of merit for my first MSc year and gaining a PRINCE2 Practitioner qualification.

In the future I want to take a step closer to patients and maximise my exposure to and passion for the front line. I’ll continue to build on my knowledge to progress as far as I can.

If you’re committed, resilient and focused, the NHS can offer you a rewarding, fulfilling and varied career that makes a difference to everyone.