The first day of the conference went smoothly, though as usual PowerPoint intruded heavily in most of the talks. We have all been guilty of it at some time: it is so easy just to write one’s talk directly into PP, format it with bullets, indents and more, and just simply read it off to the audience. It is easy too to forget that the kind of audience one is talking to can read and digest a whole slide before one has stuttered through the first bullet point: transition effects that delay each paragraph until the presenter has caught up simply frustrate. Content and delivery has to be seriously good to overcome the deadening effect of most presenters’ slides. Today we had a spectrum: some terrific, some stimulating and some, well, there you go.
Perhaps part of the problem was that Aidan Halligan (Deputy Chief Medical Officer) set such a high standard with the first presentation that following speakers were cast somewhat into the shade. Aidan is always an engaging, thought-provoking, original and entertaining presenter, and today was no exception. His slides illustrate rather than drive his talk.
Aidan’s brief was The Challenges Ahead. We all know that for him (and, as he would have it, for us as well) is implementation of the massive IT programme for the NHS. But he chose to preface this with a gentle reminder that the uniqueness of clinical encounter between doctor and patient has endured over a long period and that we should not forget the ‘unwritten’ contract patients’ and clinicians’ contracts. The IT programme will come to nothing if not fully embraced by clinical staff ‘with enthusiasm’. Aidan’s aim is to engender that enthusiasm:
Communicate as if the whole programme depends on it. (It does: how often I should communicate is how often I should kiss my wife: before someone else does.)
Identify an enable local leadership. (And train them, too)
Match and exceed the expectations of patients and clinicians.
There is no doubting Aidan’s enthusiasm and commitment to this. If anyone can communicate it to the service, he will.
[More to follow]
