The Christmas wish list of our Managing Director, David Griffiths.
Medequip is an organisation of many faiths and spiritual beliefs and includes people who have neither. But at this time of year, as this particular calendar comes to an end, it’s not uncommon for organisations and people to look back and reflect and to look forward and plan.
Medequip and its affiliated organisations currently employ over 2000 people. That’s a lot of different ways of looking at the world, but with a common purpose. To help people stay as independent and as active as they can at home and in their communities.
And we do this 365 days a year. Bank holiday, religious festival or not.
In fact 2024 has been the busiest year so far in our 31 year history, with the peak day coming on 10 December this year when we carried out 6300 activities.
Of course, despite the Key Performance Indicators, it’s not really the activity that counts, it’s the difference that activity makes to someone.
So, my first task is to acknowledge the huge efforts, skills and humanity of our staff. Of course we can always do better, and more on that in the next blog, but today I choose to be thankful for their work.
I may not be the most agile social media contributor, but I still get a spring in my step each time I see a comment on our internal platform Blink, from someone who uses our service or a family member complementing our staff and telling us what a difference we have made. That’s where I get my energy from.
Next task is to make sure we are all clear that any organisation can only function when it plays its part in the wider system. For this I am grateful for the continuing support of too many people to mention, but you know who you are. You may be a supplier or sub-contractor. You may provide services that help us function. You maybe in a community organisation. You may be someone who uses services who is challenging and helping us to improve.
Whatever your connection with Medequip I salute you and your input.
That just leaves me with the question as to why Medequip exists. Is it simply to generate a profit as some believe? Well, yes that’s partly true, because that’s literally what keeps the wheels turning and the buildings going up. Or is it to provide employment for 2000 people and contribute to many more in the supply chain? It’s a yes to that too.
Medequip is proud of its manufacturing heritage and wants to contribute to the national and local economy. Or is it to help people like you and me or any one of us, who may at some point during or at the end of their life, need something or someone. Well this is definitely true and what gets me out of bed each day.
Looking forward I know any organisation needs a plan, but as Winston Churchill once said, “plans are of little importance, it’s planning that’s important”. Today I read that more changes are planned for Local Authorities, at the same time as the consultation is underway on what’s to become of the NHS and all the while in the knowledge that the only thing certain about social care is that it can’t carry on the way it is now.
But there’s not much a private sector Managing Director can do about those things, so my end of year wish list goes something like this...
- That the people who work for us are as healthy and happy as they can be.
- That the people who help us are as healthy and happy as they can be.
- That the people whose lives we touch, however briefly, are as healthy and as happy as they can be.
And on that note, I wish the same for you all and a happy Christmas a prosperous New Year.