Back at Medequip HQ after another interesting few days with some great people at the NAEP conference.
The theme this year was "Easing the strain".
It is true that the public sector that has the duty to provide services, and the private and voluntary sectors that often deliver them, are under a lot of pressure, for all the reasons we know.
But I am reminded by Angela Catley and Isaac Samuels of the Equipment Matters that the focus should be on the people who have the right to have these services and on the "strain" on peoples' lives when the system is not working.
So, I was encouraged by the enthusiasm I saw to keep trying to make things better and to do things differently. Whether that's new products like the NAEP Innovation prize winner Accora's Ascenda bed, or new partnerships that are built when people get together.
It was a great moment to see Isaac Samuels on stage with Mark Rance the Commissioner for Kirklees, joined by our own Damian McNulty, as they each gave their different perspectives on why we all need to keep people at the centre of our thinking and actions. Saving money by doing the right thing.
For Isaac, it was important that we all remember that people are not units of demand or activity and should be involved. Mark outlined his experience in making savings by avoiding blanket decisions in favour of a more personalised approach. Damian outlined some of the early work linking people with manufacturers and supporting areas that wanted to involve people in reviewing items of equipment.
I get the feeling we will be hearing a lot more on these approaches as the future models of social care and health are debated and shaped.
There was also an entertaining and very helpful reflection from Jon Wilks on how we can support change in any organisation or system. His advice, find a powerful way to describe the prize that we are all working towards. Be very specific about the benefit to the individual or organisation of working towards that prize. Then apply the pressure.
I was left reflecting that while there is only so much I can do to manage the external pressures Medequip faces, I can choose where to apply pressure internally.
It's not about more. It's not about less. It's about better.
Now, which buttons to press?