This blog has been many things over the years, it's been a place to rant, a place to explain what us ambulance people do, a place to celebrate what we do well, a place to defend the service from inaccurate news reports and a place to criticise some of the planning that occurs.
The benefits of this blog are many and varied, I've met people I never would have otherwise, done things that I'd never have imagined and made some very good friends. Doors have been opened to me.
I enjoy writing this blog. I like having a place where I can write and people listen to me - I know that sounds egotistical but I'm not alone in liking an audience. Sometimes it's hard to motivate myself when I'm coming off a twelve hour shift, but other times I can't sleep because of something I need to write.
Why am I telling you this?
I've been sitting on an application form for the position of Press Officer for the LAS for the past week or two. The reasons for even having this form are many and varied and will be a subject for a future blogpost. I'm not qualified for the post, even though I think I would bring a breath of fresh air into the role. The chances of me even getting an interview are tiny, if not non-existant.
But it was only this morning that I realised that I can't go for the post.
It's all to do with credibility.
Would you trust me, dear blog reader, if you knew I was now part of a PR machine? Would I still be able to rail against some of the inadequacies of the NHS, the Government or the LAS if I were further on the 'inside'? Would such a job role completely neuter this blog?
I think that it would, so the application form (no shift work, less heavy lifting, more money, just as much fun) has gone into the bin.
It's a damn shame, but this blog has come to mean so much to me over the years that doing something like this would make me feel like I've 'sold out'.
It would have been nice to have a kettle always within reach though…
