Matthew’s story

I already had 10 years of NHS experience before joining NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) back in May 2022. I decided to apply because I wanted my experience and skills to help a world class organisation like this to continue to evolve on its digital transformation journey. The NHS has always been important to me, and I wanted to work for an organisation in which I felt I might have a more direct connection to the outcomes of patients.

I've experienced a huge amount of support so far. Colleagues and management have been great from the first day, and NHSBT has been very supportive with my requirements due to my dyslexia.

Enterprise IT architecture is about aligning applications, data and infrastructure with IT strategy. It involves developing technical standards, road maps, and high-level design and working closely with others to make it all happen. Not many people outside of technology jobs are aware that there’s an underlying system to the technology and applications which are used every day here.

My role is part of the enterprise IT architecture function, with my responsibilities including infrastructure, cloud, and networks. For example, expanding outreach to potential donors might call for a new customer relationship management solution and web portal, prompting us to think about the infrastructure that would need, cloud configurations, and networking platforms.

We would then evaluate the ripple effects on the broader technological landscape if a component within the architecture changes. This might include assessments around necessary software alterations, potential infrastructure adjustments, service delivery modifications, and security implications. These insights provide not only the immediate decision-making process but also play a crucial role in forming the future technologies, which help NHSBT to deliver life-changing, life-saving services.

Since joining, we've architected the organisation's first cloud strategy, and I'm excited about the future work of transforming and modernising our complex infrastructure and networks. This will empower our staff through new capabilities. Over the next 18 months, I'll work with others to develop a forward looking infrastructure and cloud vision, spanning the next 5 years. It's an exhilarating journey that involves partnering with leading technology companies to support cutting-edge healthcare. Each day brings fresh challenges, making it an immensely rewarding environment to work in.