What I said to the Secretary of State for Health

I stepped up to take my place on the panel. He extended his hand and said 'Hello'.

I had been asked to take part in an 'Any Qustions' discussion at the launch of Dementia Awareness in the North West. The SoS was up and due to attend the meeting at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. The hospital seems to have several names now including the Central Manchester Foundation Trust, or Central Manchester University Hospitals. To me they'll always be the MRI, St Mary's, Royal Eye hospital and Dental Hospital.

My new career as Clinical Director and working at my new practice is turning out to be great. I couldn't have planned the change to have a better outcome. They really appreciate me, which is great. I'm just sorry it had to come about in such a way. Anyway, I'm not allowed to go into details on public media about the break up from my practice.

A week or so earlier I'd been invited to a CMFT governors meeting where I was to present the Clinical Commissioning Group work plan, and how we we're all beginning to work together better for the benefit of our patients. It is actually true. I think we are. We've all realised we're on the same side. They're success is our success, and our failure is their failure. This includes the local authority.

So before the governors meeting there was a bit of food and networking. I gravitated to people I knew, of course. One of them was Lawrence, my cardiology mentor. Talking to him was one of my favourite, now retired, consultants and former Medical Director. He was always the sweetest of consultants even though he was also one of the most pioneering in the hospital. I talked about being a student on his unit and then later a junior doctor. He vaguely remembered me but wasn't sure, and definitely wouldn't have put a name to me. As I edged towards someone else to talk to, he said 'so was I alright then, as a teacher?'. 'You were [pause] alright' I replied. They both laughed. 'You asked for that' Lawrence chuckled, but we all knew that I joked out of huge respect.

The talk to the governors went well I think. I told how we had reduced urgent care activity and that referrals were being managed much better. We all want to reduce secondary care activity by investing in community and primary care services, so that we can afford the specialist services CMFT offers. Our CCG  is uniquely placed to be able to do this as CMFT don't have a stake in filling up their beds with secondary care activity, and we all have a stake in keeping these people well and at home. Our incentives are aligned, as they say. Sadly I fear other hospitals are not in as good a position.

So one of the joint projects we have with them and the city council is to focus on integrated working. In particular integrating care for frail older people, many of whom have dementia. In other words their brains are starting to function less well, often at the same time as other organs are wearing out too. So that's why I was at the Dementia Awareness Launch day.

We'd all gathered in the Jefferson library. The minister was running late. Eventually a murmuring announced that he had arrived and was downstairs meeting the important people. We took our places in the lecture hall. I sat near the front so as to access the panel when called upon.

The SoS was taller than I expected and very 'public school'. He was also brighter than I expected and gave a short but well researched speech. This had not been crafted by a speech maker, he was reading off notes he'd obviously written himself. Then he and the other speakers took their place on the panel. I stepped forward, having not been introduced to him before and not given a talk. This was my chance.

'Hello' he said and shook my hand. 'Hello' I replied once he'd been told who I was, and took my place next to him at the table. I took a few questions and answered them rather well, I thought. Then he was whisked away. We shared no more words. I wonder if he'll remember our brief exchange.