“Professor Susan Fairlie, has been working with the Primary Care and System Transformation (PCST) directorate in NHS England and NHS Improvement during 2019/20, to support the development of the national director and his senior team.
Susan has facilitated several senior management team (SMT) time outs, and has agreed to continue to work with us over the coming year to support our development journey. The sessions have been excellently facilitated by Susan, who has handled quite significant tensions in the team with great sensitivity and insight. Susan has balanced the needs of individuals, with a healthy dose of challenge that has felt supportive and respectful.
Susan shaped and organised the events in a consultative way and designed the sessions to make sure everyone felt we were making progress against agreed objectives. Her prep for the meetings ensured that she understood our context, and she was able to make space in the sessions for generative conversations, where all of us felt that we had a voice and owned the actions we agreed.
Susan got the balance just right in terms of presentation and participation and has the confidence and experience to let us use the time flexibly; ie she responds to the needs of the team in real time.
We look forward to Susan continuing to support us in her consultative, engaging and thoughtful way. Susan is focused on what we want as a team and brings a very capable style to our sessions. I have no hesitation in recommending her to colleagues.”
- Chief of Staff, Primary Care and System Transformation, NHS England and NHS Improvement
“Susan's greatest skill is analysing scenarios that are causing me concern. Effectively "diagnosing," a single issue within that scenario ( in a laser like fashion) and then demonstrating with ease a simple way to view and approach the issue. These have been backed up with academic articles, shared experiences and formal tool-based analysis.
As a new CD, I have faced challenges that at times seem insurmountable. Power-play, politics and turf wars are new to me and actually have come as quite a shock - I am grateful for Susan's steady guidance and support. Susan has provided a structured and productive framework of Leadership training sessions that have benefitted me in timely fashion. Sometimes this is frank business advice but more often it is skilful emotional support. A hand to push me up the Alp at the right moment of high gradient, wisdom and understanding . Professional and empathetic, a caring leader from a caring, but as I am learning, complex area of operations, NHS management and leadership. Help with the crossover from the practicing patient facing doctor to the clinical manager and lead.
A hug a carer gives a patient, this is not quoted as an outcome in excel or at the dispatch box by any health minister. This is what Susan has metaphorically given me. A professional and emotional hand of strength, an insight into experience and the benefit of wisdom earnt at the coal face. Importantly, I have no doubts at all that Susan's input has been of great benefit to the other locality CD's and CCG Leads too, I hope I have become more effective and orientated at team level. I hope others receive similar support and also learn to respect and embrace the differences within different organisations. You offer an essential service and I am very grateful.”
- Clinical Director, Primary Care Network
“I have worked with Susan in various capacities over several years including when she coached and mentored me, helping me work through a quality review of my new team following a re-organisation of our Executive Team of Directors. Susan provided excellent facilitation, support, challenge and mentoring to my team and myself so we could re-prioritise the work plan for the quality team.
Susan has a positive, supportive and nurturing style and brought a wealth of experience and expertise to each piece of work and has also provided career coaching to both myself and some members of my team. At executive level it is difficult to assess objective developmental and motivational feedback. Susan’s coaching in this respect I personally found to be very thought provoking and useful.
Susan also worked with us as the Quality Champion Programme Director which she commenced in August 2016 on a one year contract. Susan was accountable for the design and delivery of the Programme and supports the professional and clinical leadership of registered doctors and nurses, Allied Health Professionals and healthcare support workers.
Susan worked with the Executive Directors Team to implement recommendations from Improving the Safety of Patients in England (National Advisory Group, 2013) and Improving Quality in the English NHS (Kings Fund, 2016). Susan is working towards improving the skills and capacity within teams and individuals and embed a culture of continuous quality improvement within the Trust to improve quality of care, safety, patient experience and satisfaction.
Susan is highly professional, calm, capable and an enjoyable person to work with and I highly recommend her.”
- Chief Nurse, Community NHS Trust
“I am genuinely grateful for your support during the pandemic. You were relentlessly focused on the big picture at a time when, frankly, we would have lost sight of it, and probably wanted to lose sight of it. There were times when it felt like it might get too much …. but you were always supportive and fair (and challenging!) and, looking back, I’m very grateful.”
- Chief Operating Officer, National Mental Health Provider
“Susan worked in the capacity of an Independent Consultant to myself throughout the summer/autumn of 2016. The focus of the work was the establishment of a baseline assessment in relation to governance and quality of nursing/midwifery/AHP practice across all three hospitals. The work culminated in the production of a report.
Susan quickly established herself as a key member of the professional nursing team and displayed expert knowledge and understanding of the relevant professional issues. Her knowledge of “organisation development” models and methodologies proved extremely beneficial during a period of change and unsettlement for staff of all levels.
I would strongly recommend Susan and would use her skills again in the future.”
- Chief Nurse, Acute NHS Trust
“Susan worked for us over three months as an interim Chief Nurse. I found Susan to be personable, knowledgeable and intelligent with excellent strategic nursing skills and awareness and expertise in quality governance. Susan was able to easily integrate herself into our CCG Governing Body and provide the strategic nursing voice required in matters relating to governance, provider performance, OD and organisational change. She was able to engage effectively on behalf of the CCG with NHSE on quality and safeguarding matters and provide briefings and reports for the team and the executive.
Susan was able to work effectively with other lead nurses in other organisations and different specialists for example commissioning, finance and patient engagement to get the outcomes required. I was impressed how easily Susan managed to hit the ground running and become a key contributor to the leadership team in such a short time.
I would highly recommend her services to any other organisation.”
- Accountable Officer, CCG
“Susan is an excellent facilitator and an inspirational and motivational speaker. Her Quality Improvement Programme was pitched at the right level and engaged staff across the Trust. Her sessions on resilience were particularly beneficial and well received.”
- Chief Nurse, NHS Trust
“Susan has been a tireless supporter of the National Primary Care Collaborative….”
- Sir John Oldham OBE
“Your interventions were superb – you unveiled things which were previously hidden to many of us. You have a way of getting us to discuss the real issues which was very powerful.”
- Chairman of NHS Trust
“Susan worked with us as an independent contractor throughout, but quickly became part of the team and was a well-liked and respected member of that team. Her work began with supporting the development of the competitive tender proposal document – advising on content, design of the approach and writing important sections.
After the award of the contract Susan became a full and critical member of the team delivering the development programme involving over 170 individuals in workshops, webinars and telephone support.
I would particularly emphasise the following skills and strengths that Susan demonstrated during her work with us on the programme:
Credibility: Susan carried a high degree of credibility with this group, as an experienced nurse Director she was able to speak with authority on the clinical issues and the organisational challenges. Her personal style and presence reinforces this credibility.
Change management skills: Specific skills, experience and knowledge of models of change were very helpful both in designing the approach to the work and in delivery of content.
Imagination in design: Susan made important contributions to the design of the programme at bid stage and also continued to help shape design of the delivery of the programme, taking part in problem solving sessions and rehearsals. She consistently showed imagination and a critical approach, with a concern for high quality presentation and attention to detail.
Relationships in the team: Susan developed and maintained fantastic team relationships with the internal and client teams. Her views were respected, she gave personal support to some individuals, created positivity and was sensitive to team norms and needs.
Relationships with clients: Whilst not leading the client relationship Susan regularly had contact with the lead client through events and always created a positive and professional impression. Her relationship with the individual Change Champions was very good and indeed she became the single point of contact with a group of ‘Lead Change Champions’ across each cluster of providers.
Workshop facilitation: Susan was regularly a core team member for delivery of the in-person workshops as well as large events with 150 + people. She was always well prepared, had a very professional approach and delivered great content in sessions she led. Her role in helping to motivate the team and sustain attention to detail was important also.
Overall Susan has been a delight to work with and we would have no hesitation in engaging her again in similar or other work in the future.”
- Director of Global Consultancy firm
“Susan has not only been integral to the success of the NHS Chief Executive’s Review of Innovation, she has also proven to be a real asset. She has brought considerable operational and clinical expertise and insight to our work, helped shape our thinking and most importantly build and develop relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
Susan’s judgement and ability to manage people and conflict shone through during the review…. Susan is committed to delivery of every task that she undertakes, and does so with a blend of analytical acumen and a friendly and warm approach. She is bright, enthusiastic, and a great team player…..On a personal note, it has been a real pleasure to work with Susan; she is a hardworking, dedicated, experienced and highly skilled individual. I am very grateful for the personal advice she provided me during the review.”
- Sir Ian Carruthers OBE, Former Chief Executive, NHS South of England