Meet Jenni Twinn, one of the stars of BBC Two's 'Hospital' documentary
I have worked in the NHS for over 15 years, starting my career as a Maxillo-Facial Nurse in Kent, which I absolutely loved. It also gave me my first taste of management. I then moved to London to work at the Eastman Dental Hospital, where I also did a Diploma in Child Psychology. I then took a Head of Nursing role at Birmingham Dental Hospital and from there moved to Nottingham to take up the role of an Assistant General Manager in Family Health. I was then appointed to the Associate General Manager Role and am now the Deputy General Manager, having managed all of the services in Family Health within my nine years at NUH.
In my role as Deputy General Manager I’m responsible for the day to day operational running of the Family Health Division, which has an income budget of £175m approx. This includes: Nottingham Children’s Hospital, Maternity Services, Neonatal, Gynaecology, Sexual Health, Fertility and Genetics, as well as a great number of Community bases and regional services.
I ensure that flow is maintained at all times and that services are adequately staffed and running smoothly, as well as ensuring they work to their activity contracts, whilst driving change forward. I work with a fabulous team who do their very best every day to ensure that all our staff are able to do their jobs to the best of their ability and that patients are seen by the right people at the right time.
I am also responsible for ensuring that the activity programme and financial transactions for the Division are on track and where there are problems, we work hard to help resolve them. I also lead on the financial efficiency and service improvement elements of the Division, with some very exciting plans coming up this year.
It can sometimes be a challenge to deal with so many unknown factors, but that is the nature of operational management. I have to be able to manage any situation, whenever it happens, while still ensuring that the service runs safely for patients and staff. The financial challenge is also one not to be forgotten, we have a tough time ahead of us as an organisation, but if we keep working together and focus on what is right for the patients and staff we will get there.
I really enjoy the variety of my role, the challenges I face and the fabulous people I work with. I truly love coming to work every day and I leave with an enormous sense of achievement. It’s great to know that my team and I have made a difference to someone’s day and that we have helped them to improve their quality of life. I am very proud to work here.