Job Title
Primary Care Assistant Management Accountant
Is your role clinical or non-clinical?
Non-clinical
When you were in school, did you want to join the NHS?
No, I had no clear idea of career when I was at School/College. University headed me towards Finance and working in Private Healthcare led me to the NHS.
Tell us about your job
A typical day for me is sometimes far from typical. I usually check emails for queries or requests from management or support for our GP practices in Primary Care. I can process payments, update forecasts of spend, budget adjustments, attend meetings via Teams or in person. I may have a one to one session or a team catch-up – both of which are useful when you are more home working that office based. At the financial month end, timescales are pretty tight for ensuring our financial position is correct.
How did you come to work in the NHS?
I did an Accountancy Degree because someone told me ‘they will always need Accountants’ and then my first job was in private medical insurance with Aviva Health and my first exposure to Finance roles and professional accountancy studies. After 19 years and a huge variety of different Finance roles, I was made redundant due to work relocation and I joined the NHS in 2019.
What are some challenges?
When you work in Finance and are part of the month end process, that can feel very regimental and mundane but in some ways that does provide a bit of structure and a target to reach.
What do you love about your job?
I’d have to say the people I work with and the variety that the role offers.
Which Clinical colleagues support you in your role?
As part of my role I also look after Prescribing reporting for the HIOW ICB and therefore work closely with the Medicines Management team and attend Prescribing Cost Savings Group with prescribing colleagues.
Which Non-clinical colleagues support you in your role?
My management, peers and colleagues in the Primary Care Commissioning team all support the role I have. We also have a network of HIOW ICB Finance colleagues we can get assistance from.
Is there career progression in your role and how would you get there?
There is usually a Finance Study Policy which can support progression if that is a route people want to take. If there was a particular role I desired, I would try to gain some experience in that area with management support or volunteer to put myself forward to undertake a task which could support a job move.
What would you say to a young person thinking of joining the NHS?
There is no limit to the type of roles available so definitely keep an open mind and do check the NHS vacancy board. There are a lot of roles you can progress or move into once you are part of the NHS and I have seen apprenticeships, secondments and buddying offered to support this. They are huge supporters of flexible working and despite there having been a very turbulent few years, the support to staff wellbeing is really awesome.