Guest blog by Amanda Hinkley
This year is my 40th anniversary in nursing with a 35-year career in occupational health (OH) in manufacturing, retail, aviation, telecommunications, police, NHS and Public Health England (now UK Health Security Agency, UKHSA). I joined Public Health England as an OH Nurse Manager in 2014, a baptism of fire straight into leading on deployment of staff to Sierre Leone in the Ebola outbreak, consulting with third parties including the World Health Organization, Save the Children, the London and Liverpool Schools of Tropical Hygeine and Medicine and Ministry of Defence. I rejoined Public Health England in 2019 as a Nurse Consultant, Head of Occupational Health and Staff Wellbeing. What followed was COVID-19, two mPox outbreaks and organisational change when PHE transitioned to a new organisation, the UKHSA. I work compressed hours to support caring responsibilities of my elderly mum on Fridays.
Tuesday: Emails and Microsoft Teams messages that cover operational updates and queries from the OH Senior Leadership Team, my manager and Workplace, Health and Safety. It may cover budget approvals in the systems and staff approvals, safeguarding, Caldicott Guardians issues or the UKHSA Working Through Cancer Network.
A first meeting is an online SOM “Keep Britain Working” stakeholder event after the initial meeting last November, with representatives from Sir Charlie Mayfield’s team. My role as Chair of the Faculty of Occupational Health Nursing (FOHN) (strategically partnered with SOM) involves attending SOM meetings and representing FOHN/SOM at national meetings.
Following this, a meeting discussed next week’s organisational restructure meetings and providing the team with time to read and reflect on the organogram pack before the directorate and OH team meetings.
In the afternoon, a monthly catch-up meeting with Professor Jamie Waterall, Deputy Chief Public Health Nurse for England, Chief Nursing Officer for England Group. We discussed the Public Health Nursing OH deep dive that I presented with colleagues, Janet O’Neill and Libby Browne (MOD) in May. Jamie suggested us commencing a Task and Finish Group with colleagues.
Finally, a monthly catch up with Janet O’Neill discussing the new Task and Finish Group and a meeting with the NMC in July.
Wednesday: Supporting the Ebola incident in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. As a Deputy Director said to me: “a walk in the park with your previous experience and knowledge of the Government Returning Workers scheme - Ebola and Marburg: returning workers scheme (RWS).”
The support involves leading People Cell stand up meetings morning and afternoon, attending the UKHSA Cell Coordination and Incident Management teams meetings, responding on behalf of the directorate to an Ebola core scripts (guidance) document and the three Ebola modelling scenarios. I touch base with the People cell re. emails in the incident mailbox that need Cell Lead sign off or decisions. The day also involved shutting down the cell and mailbox for the Hantavirus incident from this week.
Then further meetings on the:
- RCN/SOM November Conference, discussing ideas for men’s health/mental health in the agenda.
- FOHN committee quarterly meeting, reviewing the first year of the FOHN/SOM partnership, the new FOHN Accreditation website and providing an update as Accreditation Lead on the forthcoming relaunch.
Thursday: respond to a complaint, copied to my manager and catch up with the OH Clinical Governance Manager - the focus trying to manage expectations.
Then a working Through Cancer Network meeting. Having been diagnosed and living with brain tumours since 2013, I co-chair this network. A particularly emotional meeting, following news that a network colleague had passed away that week. Always sad, as the member was so well liked. After that meeting, I gave myself 10 minutes in the garden as I felt emotional and needed to rebalance.
Then:
- SOM/FOM conference planning meeting, as to presenting at a Conference Panel.
- A catch-up meeting with my manager to proof a proposed organogram, ahead of generic consultation launch next week.
- Chairing a new SOM Safeguarding Specialist Interest Group, sharing anonymous case studies for the guidance we will be developing.
Working in the UKHSA is unpredictable. Incidents can arise any time - ranging from high-risk infectious exposures to large-scale public health responses. Occupational health plays a pivotal but often unseen role:
- Advising staff on health and wellbeing and providing travel health assessments, immunisations and travel kits in tight response deadlines prior to deployment.
- Supporting operational continuity.
Our role is both clinical and strategic, reactive and preventative. For me, the most defining aspect of this role is its connection to purpose. Occupational health in UKHSA is not only about supporting individual employees, but also about ensuring that the people protecting public health can do so safely and sustainably. Our influence increasingly extends beyond individual organisations into the wider health system. And while much of the work happens behind the scenes, its impact is felt everywhere.
Amanda Hinkley is Head of Occupational Health, UKHSA. MSc (OH), SCPHN, Chair and Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Health Nursing.