Code Blue to Green: A Test Manager’s approach in NHS Wales
First of all; let me introduce myself; my name is Jess and in my professional life I’m a Senior Assurance Consultant (otherwise known as a Test Manager) working for Acutest (Part of Trustmarque). I’ve over a decade of expertise in software testing and quality assurance and really love my job – who wouldn’t love getting paid to break things!
In this series of articles, I want to share with you a truly unique opportunity that I stumbled upon when my personal life clashed unexpectedly with my professional life and to share some truly insightful ideas and discoveries with you.
In article 2 ‘Code Name: Defect Detective – Undercover in the NHS’ I shared with you some insight into the trials and tribulations of digital transformation within NHS Wales. In this article; I share how and why I broadened my network by connecting with healthcare professionals within the NHS who are paving the way for transformative shifts and seeking actionable solutions to improve patient health across NHS Wales.
Breaking Barriers – Forging New Connections
LinkedIn is a fantastic platform for networking, even though the vibe is starting to feel a bit like Facebook! I needed to quickly expand my connections within NHS Wales. Why the urgency? It’s simple – I wanted to make a positive impact on the future of NHS Wales, and I wanted to start right away.
So, like a networking pro I embarked on my LinkedIn quest, sending out connection requests with flair explaining my professional background as a Senior Assurance Consultant (Test Manager) and why connecting would be mutually beneficial. To my surprise and delight, my number of NHS Wales connections started skyrocketing, which was fantastic! However, I soon faced a new challenge: figuring out how everyone was connected to each other and so I decided to draw a relationship map which would help me visualise my new connections. Within a couple of hours, it looked like something out of prime-time police drama…but it was certainly effective and gave me the vision I needed for who to contact first!
One of the first people I connected with was Joanna Dundon, the National Digital Lead for Public Engagement at Digital and Health Care Wales (DHCW). This was someone Hamish had suggested I speak to as Joanna was the chair of the Patients and Public Assurance Group (PaPAG) for the Digital Services for Patients and the Public (DSPP) and this was somewhere where I could potentially make a difference. My first call with Jo was very positive and we talked about my recent hospital stay and the feedback I received from the nurses and doctors. Joanna kindly explained the purpose of PaPAG and the excellent work they are doing to ensure the quality of the NHS Wales App. The group includes representatives from various communities who collaborate to ensure the NHS Wales App is accessible to everyone in their areas. I was asked if I would be interested in joining this group and I accepted the opportunity with enthusiasm, recognising that I was in a truly unique position. This was my chance to merge my personal experiences with NHS Wales and my professional expertise in Software Testing and Quality Assurance to make a real difference. It felt like a perfect storm of circumstances aligning, and I couldn’t wait to dive in and contribute.
I felt incredibly fortunate to have the chance to contribute to NHS Wales digital transformation journey. It made me wonder if other organisations truly grasp the benefits of having an external QA perspective. If you’re unsure whether this could benefit your organisation, here are my top three tangible advantages of consulting an expert like myself:
- Unbiased Evaluation: An external QA professional offers an objective assessment of your processes, free from internal biases. This fresh perspective can help identify blind spots and areas for improvement that your internal teams might overlook.
- Benchmarking: An external QA professional can compare your activities against industry best practices, offering valuable insights on how to enhance your performance.
- Resource Optimisation – We can help you utilise your resources more effectively by identifying inefficiencies and suggesting improvements.
Definitely food for thought!
In my next article, Collaboration Station – Navigating NHS Wales Digital Services Together, I explore the realm of NHS Wales Assurance Groups and how their collective efforts are transforming the healthcare journey for Welsh citizens.
About the Author
I started my testing career in 2013 as a Test Analyst working for a large multinational bank.
Since then I have worked and trained hard, moving up in the testing assurance path in various industries such as banking, HR and automotive and have been working as a Test Manager since 2022.
I joined Acutest (part of Trustmarque) in January 2023 as a Senior Assurance Consultant and have been supporting our clients in media, social housing and healthcare.
