The picture above shows me in November 2016. Catriona Shearer (on my left) had declared I was the winner in the ‘Quality Improvement Champion’ category at the Scottish Government and Healthcare Improvement Scotland Quality Improvement Awards. On my right is Mark McDonald (Scottish Government Minister for Childcare and Early Years). The minister said to me, ‘Congratulations – a popular choice by the sound of it’. I answered a tad too loudly, ‘Thanks very much Martin’. Martin?! By now, multiple cameras were pointing at us. Trying to smile I couldn’t help internally cringing at my faux pas. Winning was not the only surprise of the night. One of the reasons I was nominated was my improvement approach in NHS Lanarkshire as a midwife improvement advisor.…