Bio:

I have been with NHS for 17 years working mainly in acute trusts. Prior to this I have had various roles within the private sector and local authority.

I am currently Head of Strategic Financial Planning at University Hospital Plymouth, having moved to a new trust for promotion after 15 years of working for Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust as a Finance Manager.

I joined the sponsorship programme at time when my little people were transitioning to adulthood, giving me more time to focus on myself and my career. I knew that I needed a change as I had become too comfortable in the role that I was doing and felt I had more to give and achieve in the NHS.

This is where the sponsorship programme became invaluable. It provided me with a network of support and ideas to put myself into a good position to apply for opportunities when they became available along with a much-needed boost to my confidence and motivation to step up to the next level.

It wasn’t easy, there were challenges and disappointments along the way but the encouraging words of my sponsor, which I will always remember ‘It’s the jobs we don’t get that build us. I’ve not got quite a few interviews that I had been to and after I’ve licked my wounds, I’ve looked back and thought – phew, glad I’m doing this or maybe I wouldn’t have had this opportunity if I had got that job. It always works out’ kept me going, and she was right, it did work out!

I took on the Sponsee Lead role as I’m passionate about developing people and ensuring we have a network that continues to support others in the same way it has helped me.

I’m happy to be contacted if anyone wants to know more about the programme or the Southwest Sponsees network – tanya.trethewey@nhs.net.

Tanya Trethewey, Head of Strategic Financial Planning, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust