I recently graduated from The University of Essex, having studied a degree in Physiotherapy. During my studies I completed 6 clinical placements, the last of which was facilitated by NELFT within the Wheelchair and Specialist Seating Service.

It’s been another busy week here at NELFT. It was our NELFT Board meeting in public on Tuesday and it was great to see all of our new Non-Executive Directors in the room. You can find out more about them and their role here. As always, our Board meeting started with a patient story and it was a privilege to hear from Jamie, whose daughter Demi is supported by our children and young people’s services in Barking and Dagenham. Demi has epilepsy and ADHD and as well as sharing some of the challenges Demi has faced with regards to support, medication and treatment, Jamie also shared her own experiences as a mum and a carer.

I’ll start this week by thanking Dr Caroline Allum, our Chief Medical Officer and Simon Hart, our Executive Director of People and Culture who both covered for me last week when I was on leave. Taking time off work is so important to rest, recharge and of course to do the things that are important to you outside of work. I’d like to remind colleagues across health and care services to ensure you are taking your leave and prioritising your wellbeing.

I’d like to start this week’s post by acknowledging the news of our new Chief Executive, Paul Calaminus. I have already had the chance to congratulate Paul on his appointment and look forward to working with him when he joins later in the summer. Until then I will continue in the role as acting Chief Executive. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your support over the last 18 months in the role, it has been a real privilege and I am sure there will be an opportunity for me to say more by way of a thank you as I hand over to Paul when he joins.

I hope you have been enjoying the sunshine, I certainly have been enjoying spending more time in the garden getting my daily dose of vitamin D. Having said that, please do make sure you are taking care to keep hydrated, wear sunscreen and all the other precautions, as well as looking out for others who may need some extra support during this spell of hot weather.