Weeknote 8: what it means to be a designer in the NHS

I’m on holiday so I shouldn’t really be writing a weeknote but I’m getting lots of designers reaching out to me on Linkedin who have never worked in the NHS, wanting to work there. This is my personal view and not my employer’s. Being a designer in the public sector might not mean a public sector job. It’s important to understand that an opportunity might not come directly to you as a freelance person. Public sector bodies like the NHS and others both hire people directly and procure services from companies who then hire contractors. You can choose to complain about that or you can work with it. I work as a contractor. Finding out who has been contracted to work with the NHS is a bit more fiddly but you can look through Find a tender service and select the ‘Award’ to find out who has been asked to procure services. It’s them you need to meet. Those private sector organisations might not offer permanent positions but they might offer you a fixed term or rolling contract. If you’re on a…