Guest blog by Jan Webb
As a non-clinical business owner myself, I would say that I’m more conscious of safe practice. Clinical decisions and the overseeing of work is only ever at the hands of our clinical lead - an Occupational Health Advisor (OHA) with a degree in Occupational Health. Having said that, it’s highly unusual for someone who’s non-clinical, with no background or knowledge in running a business, to set up an occupational health (OH) company.
My mother was a nurse. I’m incredibly proud of her for having the courage to qualify when she was well into her forties. My first venture into healthcare was as a student nurse with the Mid-Staffs School of Nursing. Back when training was largely apprenticeship-style - an initial ten weeks in school before being ‘thrown in at the deep end’ onto the wards.
All good stories involve a romantic interest and mine is no exception. During my first year, I met a junior doctor and decided to move with him to his next post in Edgware. Thankfully, I managed to gain a place with Barnet School of Nursing, qualifying as a Registered General Nurse in 1989.
During the 1980s, HIV and AIDS led me to working with The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) as a telephone counsellor - answering helpline calls armed with a bulging A4 binder. I’m also proud to say that I was instrumental in bringing HIV/AIDS education into the student nurse curriculum in Barnet/Edgware. I volunteered again with THT some years later, as an outreach worker, encouraging the uptake of free HIV testing.
On qualifying, I took up a staff nurse post on a general medical ward. Several months later, came more major life events - getting engaged, making the move to ‘Jimmy’s’ in Leeds (where we married in the hospital chapel!), then beginning my most fulfilling role as mother to three children. Fast forward to many years later, children grow up fast, but marriages don’t always grow with them - ours didn’t, and we went our separate ways. Another major crossroads in my life. I considered going back to nursing but was advised to first gain some experience as a healthcare assistant. I took that advice and went to work on the bank at a local hospital - I lasted a month! Then, came an opportunity to work in OH as a technician, and so began my journey into (and passion for) OH. The next four years were spent immersing myself in this new and interesting area of healthcare.
Does being a non-nurse/doctor MD pose any specific leadership challenges? I suppose the one that springs to mind first and foremost, is that decision-making and handling enquiries can certainly be a slower process – safe practice means discussing everything with our OHA and often making sure that their advice/response is written in an email rather than being relayed verbally, to avoid anything being misconstrued or lost in translation. Policies and procedures are, again, a joint effort, my visions and ideas being guided by our clinical lead’s expertise and OH/legal knowledge – although I don’t see this as holding me (or the business) back. After all, it’s not unusual for business owners in any industry to seek and rely on the professional advice of others.
I spent the first couple of years in business suffering from ‘imposter syndrome’, due to focusing on what I didn’t have (the OH degree) rather than what I did have. Now, I can see that attitudes and behaviours are the things that build the culture of a business and drive it forward.
There’s something character/empathy-building too, in learning a business from the bottom of the career ladder up – I’ve just discovered that this is a ‘thing’ and known as ‘Bottom Up’ leadership…who knew it?
My advice to anyone thinking about setting up their own company - know your limitations, believe in yourself, build the right team of professionals around you, and listen to good advice!
Jan Webb is Founder and Director of Cornerstone Occupational Health. As a non-clinician MD of this small OH company based in Bolton, Jan is leading the team into its seventh year. Her focus is the same now as on day one – providing a safe, respectful, approachable and caring service for all her clients.