Name: Gareth Presch
Job title: Founder, World Health Innovation Summit CIC
Employer: Self Employed
Age: 36
Where from, where work: I’m from Dublin, Ireland and I work in Carlisle/Nationally and Internationally.
How long have you done the job?
I started working on the World Health Innovation Summit about 7 months ago. I worked in the NHS and seen the problems we have retaining and recruiting staff – we can attract the good staff but we can’t retain them unfortunately. I also seen how the region is prospering with all the developments going on (University etc). I thought how are we going to provide healthcare to the Cumbrian community if we are struggling to retain and recruit staff to our health economy that is costing us millions? I came up with an innovative idea to bring patients, clinicians, managers, education, voluntary sector and the business community together to share ideas to inspire and innovate to improve healthcare locally, nationally and internationally. Surprisingly it’s never been done before but what it means for Cumbria is that we can put us on the map around the world as an area that fosters health innovation. We have 20 plus innovators coming here in March 2016 and we can stimulate ideas and publish them in peer review journals and hence attract healthcare staff to the region. It bring so much as we have 200 delegates coming and we can run a summit in Cumbria every year. The opportunities and possibilities for the region are endless.
Take us through a typical day:
So the first thing I do in the morning is check our social media feeds, Facebook and Twitter. Usually we’ll have quite a few direct messages that I’ll reply to. I’ll then look through our emails. I try to keep on top of all correspondence and reply to everyone who gets in touch. That can be a lot as we have quite a few feeds to reply to but I love it. Most days I have meetings regarding the summit and our activities. Skype is so important now as I can be speaking to people in Pakistan one minute and the States the next. It can be with health professionals, patients, academics or members of the business community. We also take part in the Carlisle Ambassadors and that work is so important to me. At the moment we have the Walk to Parliament with Matt Bond and previously we worked on the successful Give A Day to the City project led by Andy Fearon.
What do you like most about your work?
The best things about my job is the diversity of people I get to work with. Everyday is different and I meet new people everyday. No day is the same and I really enjoy the learning aspect of the job.
What do you like least?
Honestly, there is nothing I don’t like about my job but if I had to say something it’s possibly the travelling. Why did you want to do this job? I guess it comes down to the opportunity and the vision that we can work together as a community to improve healthcare around the world. I’m passionate about my work and I wholeheartedly believe we can work together to improve healthcare.
What jobs have you done previously?
I worked in the NHS – Cumbria Partnership for 16 months, 12 months working in Ehealth Cumbria and 4 months with the District Nursing Team in Workington. It was the reason why I started the World Health Innovation Summit. Previously I worked in the Irish Health Service as the Chief Officer of the National Haemophilia Council and led national programmes on blood transfusion, haemochromatosis and endoscopy services. It was very much a strategic role. I also worked in primary care, estates and actue hospitals. I’ve also advised business on communications and PR. I’ve worked extensively with the charity sector and that work means so much to me.
What qualifications or experience do you need in your position?
I have a BA Hons in Healthcare Management.
What is a typical salary for your job?
Salary can vary depending on the role.
Any advice for people wanting to go into your profession?
Don’t give up – follow your dreams and be persistent. Work with honesty and integrity and stick to your values. Help other where you can and smile.
World Health Innovation Summit 