It was a hot summer’s day in 2014. My palms were sweaty as I waited in the office of the then-CEO of the hospital I worked at as Associate Director of Operations, who had invited me to discuss my resignation “to go start my own consultancy”. He had been reliably informed by my boss that that was my intention upon leaving.

He looked at me throughout the conversation with somewhat bemused incredulity. Quitting a well-paid senior role in the NHS, on my way up the ladder. If I played my cards right, someday I could be a CEO, like him. Why did I want to give up on all this security for something risky and likely NOT to succeed looking at the competition?  

He absolutely had my best interests at heart, but the answer was simple for me. Because I believed in my vision.  

I knew there was a better way of doing things, and I was determined to spread that message, to make an impact. And, most importantly, to do it without limitations.  So, with that belief, Acumentice was born.  

The beginning – building a credible alternative

Leaving behind the familiar environment of the NHS was daunting, But, while I loved many aspects of being a senior leader in an NHS organisation, I was keen to work with several more organisations than a day job allowed and share my expertise.  

I also found that it was often the case that change, innovation and transformation was farmed out to big external consultancies, who had a limited understanding or experience of the NHS frontline. The value for money being offered here, in my opinion, was questionable. Naturally, this didn’t sit well with me and so I set out to offer a credible alternative.  

I knew I needed to find a way to offer great, innovative services, do things differently, be the expert in the room, offer that elusive ‘real value for money’ AND serve my passion for improving the NHS. For that, though, I needed to branch out on my own and so it was that Acumentice was founded in September 2014.

Electing for elective care

In the early days of Acumentice, we were very much focused on elective care improvement and recovery, which still remains a major part of the business to this day. Why? Because we had experienced the pain points acutely on the frontline and knew exactly ‘what not to do’, along with the ‘what to do’.

Waiting lists. Data quality issues. EPR problems. We offered the solutions.  

With the largest Trusts in the UK trusting us to deliver, such as Barts NHS Trust and Imperial NHS Trust, we soon built a solid reputation of delivering against targets, which allowed us to grow.  

Facing challenges and embracing lessons

The journey wasn’t without its obstacles. As a first-time business owner with limited commercial experience, I navigated a steep learning curve, facing trials in marketing, recruitment, pitching, and proposal writing. All decisions and ultimately all mistakes were directly attributable to me! It’s the belief in my vision for Acumentice that pulled me through.

The biggest lesson I learned? The value of working with individuals who share your core values cannot be overstated. Skills can be taught, but values are the glue that holds a team together and delivers success.  

Once that was clear, we started recruiting and growing the team.

In June 2020, our now Director of Operations, Lucy Mills, joined the company, followed a month later by Philip Purdy – a highly experienced ex-NHS leader who joined as a Senior Consultant and now holds the role of Principal Consultant.

I must give a special shout-out to both Lucy and Philip for all their help, advice, wisdom (and challenge!) when we started to expand our services. They were stalwarts for me then and remain so now. We absolutely do not agree on everything, but I would not have it any other way. The company wouldn’t be in its current position without them.  

The Covid-19 pandemic: rising to the challenge

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 brought unprecedented challenges for the entire world and especially the healthcare ecosystem.  

Despite the hurdles, our team rose to the occasion, supporting NHS Trusts during one of the most challenging periods in modern history. We assisted with urgent needs during the peak of the pandemic and were often on site supporting our magnificent NHS colleagues on tasks that mattered most – whether that was managing nursing rotas, delivering crucial waiting times analysis or simply an extra pair of hands on the frontline.  

This period highlighted our resilience and commitment to the NHS, reaffirming our belief in the importance of being an agile, responsive partner that truly understands the complexities of frontline healthcare.

We continue to support Trusts still recovering from this momentous period – which put unprecedented stress on the system and the staff within it.

Growth, innovation and a focus on sustainability

By 2022, with the pandemic gradually receding, we accelerated our growth strategy, expanding our service offerings and building a team that tripled by early 2023. We invested in marketing, revamped our branding, and launched a fresh, dynamic website to reflect our evolution into a fast-moving, forward-thinking company.  

We also introduced an innovative e-learning platform, "Evolve Learning," designed to support continuous professional development across the NHS. What's more, we won a place on DigitalHealth.London’s Leap programme to spread this innovation in the NHS.

Our commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) became a driving force in our journey, culminating in our successful B Corp certification and other environmental accreditations. We’re proud to be working towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2030, aligning with NHS goals for sustainability, and actively supporting NHS Charities Together through fundraising activities like the Hackney Half Marathon and company-sponsored volunteering days.

Utilising our frontline experience

What sets Acumentice apart is the wealth of frontline NHS experience that our consultancy team brings to the table. Every member of our consultancy team has served within the NHS, offering a level of insight and understanding that is rare in the consultancy world. This expertise continues to be a defining characteristic of our company, helping us stand out in a market dominated by larger consultancy firms that often lack that crucial, on-the-ground experience.

Our clients value this unique perspective, and it remains the cornerstone of our success, enabling us to provide tailored solutions that genuinely resonate with the challenges NHS organisations face today.

We are also grateful for the support we have received from various NHS Trusts, who have trusted us to support and implement their improvement programmes, recognising the value for money we bring. We wouldn’t be where we are now without them.  

Ready for the next 10 years

As we look to the future, our mission remains clear: to continue evolving, innovating, and offering expert solutions that drive meaningful change within the NHS.

We are also delighted to say we have been shortlisted as a finalist for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the category of Established Business of the Year – we will be attending the awards ceremony in November. A fantastic achievement and testament to Acumentice’s continued growth.  

Moving forward, we’re excited to expand further into the mental health space, launch new software solutions, and develop our product offerings to address emerging challenges in healthcare.

The past 10 years have been an incredible journey, and while we’re proud of how far we’ve come, we know there’s still so much more we can achieve.  

We remain dedicated to playing our part in creating a healthier NHS, a healthier country, and ultimately, a healthier world.

Here’s to the next decade of making a difference – together.

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