Class of 2016: My 10 years in NHS Scotland eHealth

Celebrating a decade in digital services at NHS Lanarkshire

Hello, I'm Shane, and I'm a digital services manager for Microsoft 365 at NHS Lanarkshire. Back in early 2016, I was working as a lead technical services officer at Police Scotland with a heavy focus on telecommunications. I felt very hopeful when I finally clicked to apply for a telecoms manager position in eHealth, as I was ready for my next big career change.

Taking a chance on a new role

When I walked in on my very first day, I hoped to make a positive difference. I wanted to improve communications for our staff and patients across the health board. I also wanted to give myself the best possible opportunity to develop my own skills and learn more about the wider health technology sector.

My role has changed significantly since I first arrived here. I started out with just myself and one admin worker managing a small internal service. That team quickly grew to eight dedicated and talented people, enabling us to bring services back in-house and advance the technologies available.

Embracing new challenges

I later gained a promotion to head up the technology services team. This brought all the physical IT infrastructure under my direct and much more strategic management. More recently, I've been appointed to lead Microsoft 365 services for the board, which is an exciting new adventure I'm just getting started on.

If you showed my 2016 self a photograph of what I do today, I think I'd be very surprised! I always focused heavily on our physical infrastructure in my previous roles. However, the opportunities put in front of me since taking on technology services have completely changed my perspective on what's possible.

Pushing our technology boundaries

The global pandemic pushed our technological boundaries a lot and enabled us to develop new tools. We introduced soft phones so staff could take calls from any location. Products like Microsoft Teams are now heavily utilised, business-critical tools that we all rely upon daily.

Making a real difference in technology services

The most significant point in my decade here was when I submitted my first business case, and the management team fully supported it. Knowing I'd put forward a proposal that would make significant improvements confirmed I'd made the right choice. Having my managers' full backing to develop these ideas meant a lot to me.

I've stayed with the NHS for 10 years because every single day is different and brings fresh challenges to keep my mind actively engaged. Working in the digital environment means we constantly see new technologies emerging. I love seeing how these tools can enhance our essential business and our vital healthcare services.

Exploring the hidden benefits

There's a fantastic hidden benefit to my current role that you won't ever see written down in a standard job description. I’m completely trusted to look ahead and explore exciting emerging technologies. This gives me the space and opportunity to bring highly practical improvements to life for everyone.

The board has given me opportunities to help shape services that genuinely improve how staff work and how patients are supported. Being trusted to guide these changes gives me immense personal satisfaction.