A farewell from our Chief Executive, Sandy Mather
Every ending is also a beginning...
I write this as I enter my last few weeks as CEO of the Intensive Care Society before I retire. This seems like a good time to reflect on my experiences of this amazing membership organisation and my career more widely.
What stands out for me are the people I have had the good fortune to meet along the way. People I have worked with, learned with and most of all laughed with and the memories we have created.
I started my career in the NHS 41 years ago. I became a student radiographer back in 1983 studying at Merseyside School of Radiography and working at Ormskirk District General Hospital. Back then, it was a three year Diploma course to become a radiographer. We were lucky to receive a grant, though not so lucky with holidays as we only had 5 weeks holiday a year so it was very much an apprenticeship. I loved the NHS from the start because I had found “my tribe” – people who had the same values as me – fairness and equality and wanting to help others. We all wanted to provide the same quality of care for everyone who came in through the doors of the hospital and treat them all equally. When I qualified in 1986, I married my lovely husband and we moved to London. I wanted to see what it was like working for the NHS down here in a place I didn’t know with people I didn’t know. It was a culture shock for sure. I was an outsider in a new land. I had a different accent and my background and interests were different. But I met some amazing people and made some friends for life. My first radiography job was at the Westminster Hospital where I discovered the art of ultrasound and qualified as a sonographer. I then moved to the Middlesex Hospital in Mortimer Street as a senior radiographer in their gynae ultrasound department. Then, I moved to my final clinical job working as a senior sonographer running the paediatric ultrasound department at Great Ormond Street Hospital. At GOS I did my first Masters Degree and also my PhD - both in ultrasound. I left the NHS soon after that as there was a glass ceiling at that time and I couldn’t progress further in clinical practice. I was sad to leave the NHS because I was leaving people who had the same values as me. The highlights of all my memories are the people - the laughter we shared and the learning we did together. Always laughing, always learning.
Its always about the people.
After my PhD I moved into regulation and national policy development. Then I moved into global health and membership organisations and I led the international department at the Royal College of General Practitioners. Then in 2017 I joined the Intensive Care Society. The best place I’ve ever worked and the best people I’ve worked with and the best members I’ve ever worked for. The intensive care community is unique in the NHS. I learnt very quickly that collaboration within the multi professional team caring for intensive care patients was the bedrock of the Society. During my seven years at the Society I have had the good fortune to have worked with five amazing Presidents elected by our Council.
First Gary Masterson, the President who taught me all about the history of the Society and supported me in my first year here. We worked together to lead the Council and our advisory groups to develop our first 5 year strategy for the Society. This gave us a clear direction to focus our resources and set our values as an organisation.
The next President was Ganesh Suntharalingam, the President who recruited me and who saw something in me that I didn’t see myself. Thank you Ganesh. We worked closely together to build on the strategy and lead the modernisation of the Society, developing new Articles to allow increased multi professional representation and a more flexible approach for members. This new structure and approach with an independent Trustee Board and a values based culture prepared us well for our role in COVID.
Then the third President was Stephen Webb. The President who led us through the second year of COVID and the next year of rebuilding and strengthening our organisational values and culture. We led a review of the Society’s 5 year strategy and initiated a project to develop the next 5 year strategy. Together with Julie Highfield we co-created LeaP – our flagship senior leadership programme. Now entering its 4th year.
The fourth President was Steve Mathieu. The President who led the Society’s response to the COVID19 Inquiry and gave oral evidence just a few months ago. We led a review of FUSIC® and collaborated with our FUSIC® committee co-chairs to create a new structure with national Leads for each module and a revised and strengthened system of accreditation. Steve was instrumental in ensuring we put our values into action and lived by them.
The fifth and final President I’ve worked with is our current President of just a few weeks – Shond Laha. Shond joined Council around the same time I was appointed and we’ve worked together across a range of projects. Although I’ve only worked with Shond as President for a few weeks I know he’ll follow in the footsteps of Gary, Ganesh, Stephen and Steve and be a great President taking the Society from strength to strength.
Over the last 7 years I have had the good fortune to work with a wonderfully diverse and talented group of people. The Society’s staff; our multi professional Council; our Professional Advisory Groups; our Trustees; our Directors of Research; our Special Advisors; our Legal and Ethical Advisory Group; our FUSIC® committee; our SOA speakers past and present and all the members and stakeholders who have contributed to the Society’s charitable activities. Thank you.
It's always about the people. We laughed together and learnt together.
I was 60 earlier this year and after 41 years in the public sector I knew it was time for me to move onto the next phase of my life. I’m very grateful to the Society for enabling this transition into retirement by supporting me to study for a Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching. This gift has enabled me to move into retirement with a new skill as an Executive Coach so that I can walk alongside new and emerging CEOs and Directors and help them to develop their authentic leadership style and progress in their careers.
I’m forever grateful to have worked at such a brilliant organisation as the Intensive Care Society and with amazing people. What a place to end my career. I couldn’t think of anywhere better.
But I’ll always remember the people, because that’s what life is about. The shared laughter, the shared learning.
Its not an ending, just a beginning of a new phase in life.
Thank you.
