We Are UHB: Kiran Dhillon, Project Manager, Strategic Projects Team

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust runs Good Hope, Heartlands, Solihull hospitals, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, the Birmingham Chest Clinic, and Solihull community services.

I’ve worked in the NHS for 18 years, with the last 10 spent at UHB. However, I originally trained as a solicitor but made the bold decision to leave the profession just six months before qualifying. My family were incredibly proud of me, until I told them!  

My NHS career started in sexual health, where I delivered training on everything from contraception and STIs, to consent and healthy relationships. After that, I transitioned into corporate governance, where my legal background helped me move into corporate risk. Now, I work as a project manager within the Strategic Projects Team, helping to implement programmes that improve patient care and ensure we’re delivering services that meet regulations and best practice standards.

No two days are the same in my role. I work across multiple sites, though the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is my main base. My projects have included improving urology cancer pathways and maternity and neonatal services. I collaborate with teams across specialties, from midwives to consultants, to make meaningful improvements in how we work. Sometimes, it’s about having a fresh set of eyes on a process and asking, ‘Why do we do it this way?’ That outside perspective can help teams find new ways to improve patient care and flow.

One of the things I love most about working at UHB is the variety. I get to work with so many different people, and every project is a new challenge. I might be working with a specialty I’ve never been involved with before, but that’s part of the fun, figuring out how to make things better for patients and my colleagues.

But despite stepping away from law as a career, my interest in justice never faded. Years ago, I read an article about the lack of diversity in the magistracy, which made me think about how important it is for magistrates to reflect their communities. When the opportunity came up, I applied.

Magistrates sit in a bench of three, hearing cases in either criminal or family courts. We deal with the less complex cases, freeing up higher courts to focus on more serious matters. Some days, I’ll be in remand court; other days, I’ll be in trial court or sentencing hearings. It’s a voluntary role, and while I do it because I believe in fairness and justice, I also enjoy the fact that when I walk into a courtroom, everyone has to stand up and call me ‘Your Worship.’ I’ve tried to get my team at UHB to do the same, but so far, no luck!

Balancing my work at UHB and my magistrate duties takes planning. I have to commit to at least 13 full days a year in court, which means careful scheduling. Fortunately, my manager and team at UHB are incredibly supportive, which makes it all possible.

Outside of work and court, I love running, although I’ve been a bit out of practice lately. I’m part of a local running group in Sutton Park and usually aim for 5K runs at 5am. I also recently celebrated my 50th birthday with an amazing trip to Namibia, where I volunteered at an animal sanctuary. It was an unforgettable experience, and my team even gifted me a photo of me with the baboons to remember it by.

If you’re inspired by Kiran, and would like to join #teamUHB, visit our Jobs website below to see all our current opportunities: