Laura Bibby

I am very proud to be an Adult Nurse having worked in the NHS for over 23 years where I enjoyed a variety of roles in neonatal PICU; A & E; Burns Unit ICU, practice development facilitator; ward manager, site manager and advanced nurse practitioner in GP practice. I completed my advanced nurse practitioner and non-medical prescribing MSc at Brighton University specialising in emergency care and minor elements. I always saw myself as a frontline nurse, however, after having my 4th child I was encouraged to take on a role as a care service manager role where I was responsible for supporting people living with diabetes within the community setting and was responsible for setting up services across the Southeast Region to reduce unwarranted diabetic foot amputations. Not long after this, I sustained a life-changing spinal cord injury and was in a wheelchair, fearing I would never work again. This forced me into a career move into operational roles and service improvement, quality improvement is the heart of local plans for redesigning NHS services and improving patient outcomes and is an area I was always passionate about. I decided to use this opportunity to spread my wings and with the support of a good line manager and access2work, I could return to work. I feel privileged to have been involved in many local, Regional and National service redesign, setting up 111, mental health ambulances and reducing waiting times in A&E during my time as a senior manager working within NHS England. During covid, I put back on a uniform and from my wheelchair worked for the Ambulance Trust as an advanced nurse practitioner taking clinical calls. This kept people out of the hospital and reduced ambulance waiting times. I also set up the 1st wave of covid vaccination for clinical staff during Lockdown, this was a very emotional time in a large tent in a hospital car park, the vaccination brought hope and I was privileged to have led on this and grateful that my Trust acknowledges my clinical skills. I was not just a person in a wheelchair. To date, I am still working within NHS England as a senior manager supporting challenged Trust and systems and I am proud of the small part I play to ensure patient safety is at the heart of good care.