Professor of Health Services Management, Health Services Management Centre, The University of
Birmingham, UK

This length of time gave me a perspective on the organisation from quite different levels - very junior through to Director. The early days in particular evoke strong memories of great camaraderie. The small Park House self-service bar where staff would gather on a Friday evening and the formidable Miss Ryder's excellent home cooking, no doubt helped. It also though seemed to draw in many senior NHS colleagues, particularly Chief Executives, to this mutually supportive atmosphere.

On departure the University marked the event with a request that I hand in my parking permit immediately. However, life has been good in the intervening years. Building on initial secondment to the West Midlands Postgraduate Deanery, I have led national projects transforming the training and development of doctors in the skills of leadership, through to my current post as Director of the Institute for Clinical Leadership in the Medical School at the University of Warwick.

African–Caribbean, glaucoma, risk perception, UK