An interview with Helen Baxter, Deputy Ageing Well Programme Manager
NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group
What has been your career to date?
Originally, I was a podiatrist working in West Sussex but then we moved up north. I had completed a Masters and had become interested in other things, I fancied a change and began working for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. I stayed there a long time, working in a number of different roles including programme management and health informatics. I have also worked for Sheffield primary care trusts/clinical commissioning groups, a strategic health authority and at Derbyshire Community Health Services I managed the diabetes transformation programme.
How do you think Team Up Derbyshire is working so far?
Huge steps forward are being made by all of the workstreams in a very difficult time for everyone. The progress that has been made to date is amazing when you consider the challenges that the health and social care system has had to cope with over the past two years. The development of home visiting services across the primary care networks is a huge change and has required focused work by primary care to make these changes at the same time as coping with staff being off with Covid and delivering the immense vaccination programme, while managing a high workload.
What makes you proud of the Team Up work?
The team is focused on making services better for people. They are all very conscientious, hard working and always seem to have the end goal in sight.
What is Team Up getting right?
I have been impressed at the system working that is happening in Derbyshire across health, social care and the voluntary sector. There is an understanding and respect of the organisations’ different perspectives but also a willingness to work together to overcome any challenges.
What are some of the challenges that need to be addressed?
There is the challenge of integrated teams working together from a practical point of view such as co-location, shared records and IT equipment. These issues have all arisen as teams have started to work together and are essential for teams to be able to provide the best care they can for patients.
What are your hopes for Team Up in the future?
That it will really deliver on its promise of keeping people well for longer, with person-centred care being delivered safely at home.
How does Team Up compare to other such work taking place in the country?
Team Up is different to the Ageing Well Programme across the country because we have decided to incorporate home visiting services working at scale across primary care networks. This is in addition to the elements of Ageing Well – enhanced health in care homes, anticipatory care and urgent community response.
What have you enjoyed about working with Team Up?
I enjoy working with a team who are patient/person-focused and learning more about how the NHS and social care work together.
Away from work
Favourites:
Holiday destination: Anywhere by the sea but not too hot
Film: I’m not a film buff at all, but I did really enjoy watching 1917
Book: I tend to spend my time reading recipe books, but other than that, it’s got to be The Hobbit as it takes me back to when I first read it as a child
Music: When I’m running, something with a fast beat and electronic to keep me going, otherwise I like listening to Greatest Hits Radio (I’m an 80s fan) or UCB1 on my DAB radio
Hobbies/sports: I’m a regular baker and make up recipes all the time. My daughter usually asks ‘what strange ingredient have you put in this mum?’ before she tries it! One of my favourite recipes is a bread I like to make that has pinto beans in it – you would never know to taste it but it ups the protein and fibre content. I’ve certainly done a lot more baking when being stuck at home due to Covid lockdown. I’m also a regular runner but can’t do the miles I’d like to due to long term conditions. When I was younger, I would run almost every day but when I get out now, 10K is probably the most I could do now.
The picture used alongside this article is a challah, a Jewish bread that is enriched with eggs, made by Team Up's resident innovative baker, Helen Baxter.
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