Mrs Zoe Clarke
Zoë has two roles within Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: Lead Healthcare Scientist (LHCS); and Environmental Control (EC) Service Lead of the Assistive Technology (AT) Team.
As LHCS Zoë represents Healthcare Scientists (HCSs) within the Trust and links directly with the Medical Director. The LHCS role was designed to provide representation of Healthcare Science at Trust level; and also to enable contributions from Healthcare Scientists into other work within the Trust, such as R&D and Innovation.
Zoë launched and runs the quarterly Healthcare Science Forum within the Trust, this provides an opportunity for staff to identify issues and enables sharing of information. Prior to each forum Zoë produces a newsletter detailing what is happening locally within the Trust, regionally and nationally for HCS. The forum has been well supported and progressed topics such as: engagement with research; and HCS representation within the Integrated Care System (ICS).
Zoë leads the Environmental Control (EC) service of the Barnsley Assistive Technology (AT) Team, which delivers specialised services across the Yorkshire and Humber region. In this role Zoë manages a team of clinicians, plans service provision, manages contractors and plans future strategy of EC within Yorkshire and the Humber. Key elements of this include managing contractor performance and continuously evaluating the balance between in-house and contractor delivery of the installation element of the service; to ensure it makes best use of its budget. Zoë also represents EC nationally on the Rehabilitation and Disability Clinical Reference Group (CRG).
Reason for applying for the scheme
Zoë’s motivation for this scheme stems from an aspiration to pursue a board position either within a Trust or wider, drawing on her clinical experience. During her CSO WISE Fellowship, there was a hope expressed for there one day to be a CEO of a Trust with a Healthcare Science background, this stayed with Zoë and inspired her to think about her future leadership career. This was repeated by Dame Sue Hill during the introductory webinar to this scheme.
Going forward the NHS will be building from COVID and progressing Integrated Care Systems (ICS). The application of technology will be a major part of this and Zoë has considerable clinical experience of technology use by patients and innovation within this field. The rapid progression of such solutions including remote monitoring systems has great potential; however, the processes around its use, (assessment, training, maintenance), will be essential for success. In addition, it is vital that all who can benefit from such opportunities have access, such as people with Learning Disabilities, by ensuring the technology is both appropriate for use and accessible.
Over the past five years, leadership has been a focus of Zoë’s development and to progress she feels she requires system-wide experience. This scheme excites Zoë, as the opportunity to work with senior leaders in the NHS and to lead priority, system-wide, projects for the CSO would enable her to develop core skills and to move forward with her ambitions.
