Day in the Life of Tom Neilan

What’s your name and job title?

Tom Neilan. Last December I was immensely proud to be appointed as the first Head of Care Pathway, a role I see as the greatest challenge of my career to date.

What role does your team play in NHS Supply Chain?

The Care Pathway team has been created out of the necessity to support the NHS in improving the quality of patient care outcomes, and, in doing so, drive system productivities and efficiencies. ‘You seldom improve quality by cutting costs, but you can often cut costs by improving quality’ are the words of Karl Albrecht.

From this month onwards, we will have a full team of five Care Pathway Specialists, bringing together a blend of experiences we see as critical success factors. Supported by a team of 13 Clinical Nurse Advisors with a variety of clinical specialisms, partnering expertly with systems is mission critical to clinically influence the adoption of innovative MedTech Funded Products, devices and services that will transform the quality of patient care resulting in the reduction of healthcare costs.

Inspired by the ever-increasing number of Value Based Procurement case studies published on our website, these stories provide the opportunity to explore adoption in systems with a similar set of clinical challenges. We’re building new stakeholder relationships, painting patient pictures that describe solutions which enable a shorter length of stay, reduced procedure time, reduced patient complications, enhanced patient experiences and accelerated patient flow. In doing so, we are helping our customers to see how they can contribute towards the delivery of their own operational and financial targets.

We’re under no illusions in how difficult the journey we’ve started is and will become. As one customer said… It’s 90% excitement and 10% fear because we’re transforming the way in which we seek to unlock value. So far no-one has told us what we’re doing is the wrong thing. So let’s embrace the change that’s happening and lies ahead, and our attitude will determine our altitude.

None of these developments are being achieved in isolation. We recognise the support and collaborative working with functions right across the business, all of whom are helping to lay the foundations and create the conditions for future success.

What role did you play in NHS Supply Chain prior to this? What motivates you?

I initially joined the business working as an Account Manager in London in April 2017 after 10 years in the business, I moved to a role externally. However, the gravitational pull of NHS Supply Chain was too great to ignore! I re-joined five years ago this month. I find it remarkable how many of my colleagues have left the organisation and re-joined older, wiser and perhaps more resilient and appreciative of the organisation we are. Our raison d’etre and the importance of our individual and collective contributions in helping the NHS save lives and improve health. It’s during these moments that I reflect on the motivational words of Kate Philps during last year’s One NHS Supply Chain conference; “to expand your comfort zone, we must explore our discomfort zone”.

Finally, tell us about yourself!

Outside of work, my life revolves around my wife Debbie and my own 3Ms (Matthew, Molly & Megan).

They are the reason I do what I do, to enable them and us to have wonderful experiences and times together. Exercise and sport are important parts of my life too, whether it be swimming 8km per week, playing for 2 Vets football teams, spending time in the gym or going out on my bike, following United (you know which one) or the Republic of Ireland football teams and my other great passion in life……Formula One!