Don’t be afraid to speak out – you’ll be more respected for it

If you don’t like the way a service is run say so, advises Michael Hurt, head of older people and dementia at NHS Walsall Clinical Commissioning Group

Michael Hurt says don't be afraid to speak out

What is your job?

I am a commissioner and a nurse. That means I have some additional roles other commissioners do not have, such as clinical audit. My job involves assessing the needs of the local population, looking at any gaps there might be and filling those gaps with appropriate services.

Why did you become a nurse? What might you have done otherwise?

I became interested in nursing as a three-year-old in traction with a fractured femur. I decided quite early on that nursing was what I wanted to do and started training age 19. I might have become a solider but joined the Royal