Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of spending a day with Jacqui Fletcher OBE. Jacqui is Editor for Wounds UK, a Senior Clinical Advisor for NHS England & NHS Improvement, as well as an Independent Wound Care Consultant.
The day for Jacqui was exceptionally busy. We met at 8am in the ‘Green Room’ – an area all the presenters go to review their presentations with the IT technicians. This ensures a seamless flow of sessions throughout the day, all of which take place in the main auditorium.
Jacqui was opening Tuesday’s Wounds Annual UK Conference programme. After Jacqui’s welcome presentation, one of her colleagues was due to present the ‘Education and Capability Framework’ slot. Unfortunately, her colleague was struck down with illness, resulting in a last-minute cancellation. However, after checking through the presentation, Jacqui rose to the occasion without hesitation to ensure the conference continued without issue.
Before the conference was due to begin, we caught up with Kristina Stiles, a Burns Nurse Specialist from Kings College London who is supporting the disaster in Sierra Leone, in the green room. We spoke with her about the major explosion following the collision of a fuel tanker in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, on 5th November. It was here that many people had rushed to collect the leaking fuel when the tanker exploded. This resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people, with around 70 people requiring urgent care as they were critically unwell with severe life changing burns.
Soon enough, it was time for Jacqui to head onto the stage. We rushed up those never-ending spiral ramps in the conference centre, said a quick hello to Ed the IT technician, and then straight onto the main auditorium stage to deliver not just Jacqui’s own presentation, but also her colleague’s too.
Wow, what an amazing start to the day!
Keep a look out for my next write up as the day in the life of Jacqui Fletcher progresses.