I am the Head of Performance, Programmes and Communications for Bolton GP Federation and for the GM Feds Collaborative, supporting both Bolton locality and GM primary care services, such as the Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GM Workforce Bank.

This year my focus has continued to be on developing our approach and commitment to communications and participation. I’ve been very proud to work with all our teams, but in particular alongside our Head of Quality and People, to set out and really embed our commitment to employee voice. It’s been wonderful to see the empowerment, the ideas and the motivation this has created for our staff – and how this now shapes the decisions we make, from Board and all the way through the organisation.

Jack and Jamie from our comms team have done some sterling work that has resulted in our ambitious digital transformation journey moving onwards and upwards. This includes the development of a suite of intranet sites that house live information and resources, and are accessible by all who need them at the touch of a button. By working with their peers across the federation and our Greater Manchester Training Hub team, our dynamic performance platforms have grown in a way that provides transparency, accountability and importantly, positively engages staff and commissioners. By using mobile apps and Power BI we now have live access to data that helps to improve services and shape decisions.

Those who know me, know that I am very passionate and vocal about tackling health inequalities in our town. And I have to say that this has been a huge deal for me. Thanks to the forward-thinking, solution-focussed, autonomous and supportive culture at the fed, and the fantastic partners we work alongside – in particular, our voluntary and community sector – we have been able to pilot new ways of working, develop award-winning, innovative proof of concepts, and do things differently – in a way that really makes a difference for people.

For me, next year is going to be another big year with lots to do, lots to challenge, and lots to get excited about. This includes finishing the final year of my executive master’s degree and ramping up the communication, innovation and digitalisation priorities even further. I see 2024-25 as being the year I become more ‘digitally-savvy’ (eek!), whilst, of course, keeping my feet firmly in the Bolton grass.