Date: 23rd July 2025

Facilitators: Kash Haroon & Jamie Morley, 360 Degree Society

Our recent EMCA Team Away Day was a vibrant and energising event that brought colleagues together to reflect, reconnect, and reimagine how we work and deliver impact across the system. Held in a spirit of collaboration and curiosity, the day was filled with insightful discussions, interactive activities, and strategic reflections.

🧠 Morning Icebreakers & Team Dynamics

We kicked off with a light-hearted “Would You Rather?” session, sparking laughter and revealing fun preferences—from unlimited snacks to teleportation dreams! This was followed by a deep dive into Everything DiSC Workplace personality profiling, helping us better understand our individual styles and how we can work more effectively as a team. The team makeup exercise highlighted our diversity and strengths, reinforcing the value of every contribution.

🏥 Strategic Context: Cancer and the 10-Year Health Plan

Vicky Milward, EMCA Managing Director, presented the 10-Year Health Plan for Cancer. Key takeaways included:

Three Big Shifts:

• Hospital → Community
• Analogue → Digital
• Sickness → Prevention

Innovations in Care:

• Teledermatology hubs
• Personalised cancer vaccines
• AI-powered diagnostics
• Enhanced use of the NHS App for screening and support

Focus on Equity:

• Tackling health inequalities
• Expanding access to screening
• Supporting children and young people with cancer

💬 Establishing Our Ways of Working

Through table discussions, we explored what makes a “good day” at work. Themes included:

• Ambition
• Feeling valued and supported
• Clear communication and shared goals
• Balance, Flexibility and autonomy
• Collaborative working with the wider team and our partners
• Opportunities for learning and impact

These insights will shape our evolving ways of working, ensuring they reflect what matters most to us.

🎯 Translating Strategy into Action

In small groups, we translated strategic plans into practical deliverables. We asked:

• What should we start, stop, and continue?
• How do our goals align with existing work?
• What challenges might we face, and what values will guide us?

💬 Final Reflections

Vicky Millward, EMCA Managing Director, shared her reflections on the day: “It was fantastic to see our entire team together in one room and to feel the energy and commitment everyone bought. We recognise that colleagues in the wider NHS are going through tough times, and we are determined to be ready to deliver alongside them–driving initiatives forward that make a real difference. This day together solidified our shared approach, vision and showcased our capabilities to improving cancer care across our region for our population.”

The day was a powerful reminder of our shared purpose and the importance of taking time to connect, reflect, and plan.

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed so openly— and to our expert facilitation team from 360-degree society, Kash Haroon and Jamie Morley for collaborating with us to design and guide such an energising and purposeful day.

Looking forward to accessing the digital tools and participating in the programme - let's keep the momentum up! 💙