Day 11: Conference Buzz

What a day! I'm so exhausted and I've lost my voice. I knew these germs were brewing yesterday. I've been up since 04:30, to catch the train to London. Today is PCPA Annual Conference Day. Despite feeling rubbish and poorly, I got to meet to so many inspiring pharmacy heroes and made new connections.

Today I got to meet a SHEro of mine. Dr Nikki Kanani. She is well respected by her GP peers and by many allied healthcare professionals. Nikki is everything I aspire to be, a pragmatic, empathetic clinician, advocate for General Practice and a strong women that empowers other to be the best they can be. During Nikki's keynote speech, she pulls out a note from her pocket and reads out a quote that she saw on social media. She gives me a subtle wink from across the stage and my heart melted.

Blog from Day 6.

That quote was from one my previous blogs. Nikki ended with "this is spot on".

Honesty my blogs are as random as my brain functions. So to have my random written words read out by a well-respected female leader (that I happen to admire loads), well, it doesn't get any better than that.

What's really amazing is that Nikki is fully aware of the developments thats happening in my locality and how we are all working together in a very small patch of Birmingham. So refreshing to hear from a National Lead to be so encouraging and complimentary about the local level stuff, without me having to explain it all. Nikki just gets it and I think she gets me.

I would say my primary day job involves working more with GPs and nurses than pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. I've attended more GP events than I have pharmacists ones, though I'm guilty of imposter syndrome every single time. My local GP network have been so inviting and welcoming. We have some amazing #First5 GPs, mentoring GPs and GP PCN Clinical Directors that I feel very included in what's happening locally.

It's not all work, work, work. Nikki and I share our woes about juggling mummy life and home baking for birthday cakes. The struggle is real folks. We are human after all. We touch a little on how amazing it is to see more diversity in leadership, especially for women. And that's the amazing thing about working in General Practice, there is a real opportunity to do portfolio working and enjoy what you do. When you love what you do it really doesn't feel like work.

I will be eternally grateful for the time Nikki spent talking to me. I felt I was actually doing a good job and felt valued in this massive institution that is the NHS. My little contribution to the changing landscape in Primary Care was acknowledged. That's enough for me. Leaving the conference I felt so happy and contented despite knowing more hard work is yet to come. Theres is just something so powerful and poignant when females empowers other females. Mixed in with the inclusion from other tribes. This inner strength gives you the resilience to carry on and keep doing better.

So thank you Nikki Kanani for everything.

Thank you to the amazing GPs in my everyday life...

Dr Raj Kalia

Dr Jamie Hynes

Dr Patrick Holmes

Dr Kevin Fernando

Dr Sonali Kinra

Dr Farzana Hussain

Dr Stephanie Coughlin

You all keep me mentally positive for the work that I do as PCN CD and the crazy world of diabetes care. There are so many other GPs that have helped me during my career but you guys are always at the end of a text, call, WhatsApp, tweet and dare I say it, at the ready with the most hilarious gifs!

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart x