OutsideIn: Reflections from Jenni Douglas-Todd
Jenni Douglas-Todd, Director of Equality and Inclusion for NHS England and NHS Improvement, shares her insights on what being part of a complex organisation has taught her.
Prior to joining the NHS, Jenni worked in the police and criminal justice sector. She was the former Chief Executive of Hampshire Police Authority and the office of the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
Jenni has spent her career in organisations with a public sector focus as it has been important to her to be part of organisations that can make a difference to people’s lives. Having spent a number of years in the police and criminal justice, she was attracted to the healthcare sector and the NHS because she identified with its values and could see the breadth of opportunity to improve health services.
Jenni tells Carmel Gibbons, Head of our Healthcare Practice, about her experience below.
“I joined University Hospital Southampton as a Non-Executive Director and was excited by the organisation’s focus on equality, diversity and inclusion. I could see that the organisation was strongly committed to this agenda and I knew that I could use my experience to help the organisation improve the practical delivery of this. I have very much enjoyed this experience and feel that I have been able to play a significant role in driving improvement.”
Jenni has also gained board experience in the NHS across the areas of finance, governance, transformation and workforce development. The NHS is an organisation of scale and complexity, which Jenni says has given her “the opportunity to continue learning and to make a contribution."
"So, whether you are considering an executive or non-executive role, the experience you gain in the NHS enables you to learn how to run a substantial organisation.”
"The NHS is the fifth largest employer in the world and with this scale and complexity, the agenda is vast and there are many opportunities for personal growth and development whilst playing a role in making the service better for patients and the workforce. This is an organisation that cannot stand still and must innovate and be visionary. From front line patient care to digital and robotic advancements, its life saving interventions are extraordinary. There is very little else that can compare to this. Who wouldn’t want to be part of it?”
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