Navigating Exam Results

When I was 15, It was never my intention to be in medicine. I was going to be on the stage but a bereavement and poor ‘O’ level results put a stop to my dream and also to the next option of being a teacher. So, I went to the local college and became a qualified Nursery Nurse and then a Nanny. Two years later, I got a job in a children’s home caring for children with learning disabilities and for 17 years, I was very happy there, working my way up the ladder to be assistant manager. I left there to work with children who had drug and criminal behaviour issues. That was an experience and one of the best places I have ever worked. Whilst there, I was asked to assist in another children’s home that was experiencing staffing issues. This was the most difficult place I have worked, with children who had been abused and with a staff team who felt unsupported. It was this placement that made me rethink my career choices. I wanted to care for people and didn’t know what to do. My husband was a police officer and had seen an advert for Trainee Paramedics with Yorkshire Ambulance Service. So, I submitted an application because I felt my experience, skills and knowledge would be transferrable. And I got in. I became a qualified Paramedic and went on to become one of the first specialist paramedics in the area. Between 2004 and 2015, I worked on ambulances and on response cars. I then decided it was time to try and use all my skills again in a different environment and worked as Senior paramedic in a prison for 2 years before moving on to Police Custody. For three years, I was the Team Leader for the Healthcare Professional Team. Again, fabulous roles with lots of experiences! But Police Custody meant I was not actually helping people get better; I was keeping them safe and assisting the justice system with the obtaining of forensic samples. So, I moved again – to my dream job in GP practice – a place where I feel I use all the knowledge, skills and experiences I have accumulated over the years and I plan to remain until I retire. And the regular days mean I can fulfil my childhood dreams too! I am in a theatre group, play piano and percussion in a Brass Band and go ballroom dancing with my husband. My message to take home is don’t get hung up on what you do or don’t achieve as a teenager. Learning is a lifelong experience, and although I now have a degree, I believe my knowledge and experience that I have gained through being brave enough to keep trying something different helps my patients just as much as the medical skills I have acquired.

I began my career with a ‘summer job’ at Trinity Medical Centre, where they needed additional support because they were short-handed. Nine years later, I was still there – it was a long summer! At the time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after college, and I viewed the job more as a source of income than a career interest. I started on reception, working three days a week, but then a GP asked if I’d be interested in doing some admin work. This sparked my interest in SystmOne (the patient records system that most GP Practices in Wakefield use) and the “target” side of practice operations, such as the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) targets and the Wakefield Practice Premium Contract (WPPC) which measure how well a GP Practice is performing. From there, I moved into the admin team at Trinity Medical Centre and began doing some basic data work for Conexus in 2016. That really piqued my interest, and now, nine years later, I’m a Level 4 Data Analyst, having completed my apprenticeship through Conexus and I am applying my skills in my current role as the Performance and Improvement Officer at Conexus.

I started my career as an admin apprentice at a GP surgery in Sheffield at 16 years old! I completed a level 2 and then a 3 apprenticeship whilst working as an IT Administrator. I was then given the opportunity to undertake a management degree apprenticeship in 2020, when I was 19. I went into university on my first day and on the second day we went into lockdown! During COVID, I was given the opportunity to manage IT projects and support with the setup of red zones and COVID vaccination centres, whilst still completing my degree apprenticeship. I moved to Conexus in 2021, starting as Service Coordinator and progressing to Deputy Clinical Services Operational Manager and now as Clinical Services Operations Manager, working primarily on the delivery and development of the GP Care Wakefield enhanced access service.

I’ve been working in primary care since January 2023, and for Conexus since July 2024. Before this, I worked in education for 18 years, starting my teaching career in Rotherham as a Teacher of ICT. I moved to a Sheffield secondary school where I was promoted to Associate Assistant Head and Head of Department, managing a team whilst also teaching ICT, Business and Health and Social Care. I taught at this school for 15 years. It was only during my last 18 months, after lot of changes in education, that I knew I wanted to leave teaching. I ended up in primary care as a Digital and Transformation Lead for a PCN, developing websites for practices, creating metrics dashboards, promoting the NHS App, and producing resources for patients. I was also was involved with and led on health inequalities work. I enjoyed the role and it was an insight into primary care but I wanted to develop further. I am now in the role of Business Manager which I really enjoy and I feel supported by Conexus. No two days are the same and I have a great team who I work with. It’s rewarding to see how the work of the team makes a difference to patients. I would say the challenges faced are similar to those I faced in education. Funding, resources and trying to reach those who need support the most.

I left school with good GCSEs, went on to do A-Levels… and didn’t quite get the grades I expected. I went through clearing and ended up at York St John University studying Sports Studies and PE. I thought, maybe I’ll be a PE teacher, but honestly, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Then I saw a job as a Healthy Living Advisor, promoting physical activity for better health. It was with a charity, funded by the NHS. I had no idea at the time, but that one opportunity sparked a whole career in health promotion, leadership and Primary Care. From running stop smoking sessions to managing multi-million-pound programs in the NHS, I’ve built a career by saying yes to opportunities, even the ones I didn’t expect. Today, I’m Head of Support Services and Deputy Managing Director for Conexus Healthcare. I didn’t plan this path but Primary Care welcomed me, trained me, and helped me grow. So if your results today leave you feeling unsure, take it from someone who’s been there: You don’t have to follow a perfect path; You don’t need a medical degree to make a difference in the NHS; There’s a place for you in Primary Care.