26/04/2026
On Friday 24th March 2026, I received the call that many colleagues across ICBs have been waiting for during this difficult year of restructuring and redundancy. I have secured a role within the newly formed Central East Integrated Care Board.
I am grateful for the opportunity, but to be honest and clear, this has not felt like a moment of celebration. The process has been exhausting, frustrating, and at times deeply unsettling. For many of us, it has brought prolonged uncertainty, difficult decisions, and a real sense of loss.
For the first time since going through redundancy at Zambia National Commercial Bank in 1996, I chose not to run and look elsewhere, but to stay and see this process through. I made a decision after COVID to get back in the NHS and make a difference in any small way I can. This though has tested my resilience more than I expected.
This transition means saying goodbye to BLMK and stepping into a new role in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Though the same organisation, moving to C&P has a personal meaning for me. While it is a personal step forward, I am very aware that for many valued colleagues, this period has meant voluntary redundancy, while many others are still waiting, unsure of what comes next. That reality sits alongside any sense of progress and brings the survivors guilt vibes.
When I shared the news with my daughters, they were surprised that I was not my usual celebratory self. They know me as someone who marks these moments with energy and excitement, but this time was different. It is difficult to celebrate when exhausted and when so many around you are facing uncertainty or leaving roles they have given so much to.
I will be leading pharmacy, optometry, and dental commissioning and transformation programmes in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, which is a huge and complex challenge/space. I step into this role with a strong sense of responsibility, aware of both the challenges ahead and the importance of getting this right.
This experience has been a reminder that while change is constant, it is rarely easy, and it often comes with a cost. What matters now is how we move forward and what we build from here.
I take this opportunity to thanks everyone who has held my hand through this period both at work and home family and friends. Those who have heard (yes noticed) my silence and found a way of lifting me spirits in those hard moments. Those I have called when I needed to talks my thoughts over.
To those still waiting, hang in there, I am here is you need a chat, rant, or laugh! This too shall pass
