It's Valentine's Day. I thought about ringing Inter-Flora and ordering half a million long stem red roses, or Hotel Chocolate for a bumper order of boxes of those rich dark chocolate selections that come in the velvet box. Or maybe a lorry load of champagne.I do think it is time to celebrate.
A year ago today we started the Academy of Fabulous NHS Stuff. Little did I think a year, and three bigger servers later, to cope with the demand, we would be talking 1,500 page views a day and 500,000 visitors.
A guiding principle for all of my working life, in business and in the public sector, has been; show people what good looks like and they will want to do it, better.
I have always believed; make it ok for people to be proud of what they do and they will want to share it.
A year down the track with the Academy has reinforced every word.With shares as diverse as a different type of tea party for dementia patients and improving flow in A&E, a safe staffing app and bereavement boxes time and again you have shared the best of what you do.
Nurses saving money in procurement caused a storm with 100's of requests for more details and a commissioning group with a new approach to vaccines had their email in-boxes fried with people wanting to know how they did it!
The Academy has become the first port of call for good ideas and sharing them. A social movement of talented people sharing their skills, visions and ideas.
Our Awards day... If Carling did awards they'd probably do it like us. We celebrated the best of the best.
There is more to come; international sharing is our next idea and bursaries for our sharers to travel and develop their ideas.
It has been an exciting first year and the year to come will be a sizzler.
Thank you to everyone who has joined in. Roses, chocolates and champagne?
Perhaps next year!
