Tiffany Hemming
Tiffany joined the Territorial Army in 1997, moving to the Regular Army in 2000 until leaving the Armed Forces in October 2017. Her last role was overseeing procurement of medical equipment and information systems and all chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) equipment for Defence. She took part in deployments to Afghanistan in 2009 as Officer Commanding Close Support Medical Squadron, and also to Bosnia and Kosovo. Tiffany discovered Step into Health through the Officers’ Association and attended an insight day at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. Taking part in a part-time placement in the A&E department of a London hospital, Tiffany quickly learnt that the NHS is very similar in many respects to the forces, so she felt very comfortable in that environment. She said ‘I would definitely recommend Step into Health to anyone leaving the Armed Forces. It allows you to get a taste of what the NHS might be able to offer you and how you might fit in. It also shows you and your placement that you have valuable skills that you can offer to the NHS.’
She is now part of the executive team at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust working directly for the chief executive, attending monthly board meetings and weekly executive meetings, working as part of a team to ensure the effective running of the trust. Tiffany says, ‘My military skills have been invaluable in terms of being able to approach a new task, break it down into its constituent parts and get on with making sure it gets done. My experiences of stakeholder management within NATO have been used in my dealings with the clinical commissioning groups, local councils and other external agencies, as well as within the trust. I am used to extreme multi-tasking within the Army and relying on a team to ensure we get things done. I am able to do the same in my new job, I love having a finger in so many pies that I have run out of fingers and it is exhilarating that I can get involved in all areas where the trust has interests. This is a great trust and is really an amazing place to work. I come in every morning with a huge smile on my face ready to face whatever the day has to throw at me.’