The job is very different from front line nursing, you don’t have same level of face–to–face contact with patients. As a clinician I was used to having lots of time face–to–face client contact. In my current role there is a different focus as we are not engaged in care delivery but working to ensure that we commission care appropriate for people’s circumstances. 

In Personal Health Commissioning we do not consider a persons needs in isolation and take a much broader and more holistic approach. Ultimately when people are referred to us it is because so the focus they are considered to have complex health needs so the focus is different. It’s not about diagnosis but rather about whether they have a primary health need or unmet health needs which mean they are eligible to receive an NHS funded package of care. We also liaise with their current health care professionals/providers to ensure they are meeting the persons needs and will ask ourselves “what can we do to improve and optimise their ability to function holistically? 

The role can be very tricky at times but ultimately the work we do can have a great impact on the quality of people’s lives.  

I’ve never been one to shy away from challenge so it’s great to have the opportunity to really get thinking and exercise my problem solving skills. Working in the Personal Health Commissioning team is almost like being an investigator because every case is unique and you need to be able to wrap your head around everything that has happened and the context of the patient’s medical history etc. I enjoy that!! It’s like a step on from a mental health assessment, but broader and more detailed… You learn about all of their needs, you see the whole picture. 

People who are inquisitive can thrive within Personal Health Commissioning as the work we do can often be rather nebulous. To get the answers you need people need to be open minded, and unafraid to ask uncomfortable questions. You do need to have a strong character to do this job, but you also have to be sensitive to people’s needs and situations. It’s really important to maintain that balance so you don’t get side-tracked focusing on the paperwork and loose the person at the centre of the process. It is important to be compassionate and empathise with the person who will be affected by our work.