From Clinical Practice to Consultancy: A Graduate Management Trainee Placement with Prism

Making the leap from clinical practice into the world of healthcare management is no small step — but for William Slee, a Graduate Management Trainee, a placement with Prism proved to be a transformative experience that redefined his understanding of what it means to lead, collaborate, and deliver. In this blog, William reflects on his time as a Delivery Consultant at Prism, from navigating the fast-paced world of consultancy to uncovering the values and skills that will shape the next chapter of his career.

Tell us a little bit about you and the role you had at Prism Improvement ?

I have undertaken the role of Delivery Consultant while working with Prism, which has allowed me to get involved in many different aspects of service optimisation. Most of my work has been in an outpatient setting, where we utilised artificial intelligence to gain optimisation advantages in service efficiency and prepare for the launch of a patient engagement platform. This placement gave me hands-on exposure to both operational detail and strategic thinking around improvement work.

What inspired you, and how did you choose your current placement opportunity?

When I first joined the graduate scheme, I completed my strategic placement with a large, complex programme involving multiple acute trusts. A significant aspect of that programme was service optimisation, which sparked a real interest in how services can be redesigned to improve patient experience and system performance.

One of my senior managers mentioned they knew Peter Fry, the Managing Director of Prism, and offered to introduce us. After speaking with Peter and hearing how passionate he is about the work Prism delivers, I was convinced that this was the placement where I wanted to develop my consultancy experience.

What were your expectations going into the placement—and how have they changed?

I was unsure what to expect when stepping into a consultancy role, especially after moving away from clinical practice into the corporate side of the healthcare sector. My early exposure to management roles had already shown me how much I didn’t know about what it truly takes to run NHS services.

I expected my role at Prism to be heavily data-driven—assessing performance against various metrics and forming recommendations. While this was true, I underestimated how much autonomy, support, and leadership I would be given. The guidance I received, paired with the freedom to take ownership of my work, has helped me develop significantly, both professionally and personally.

Can you describe a typical day in your role?

This varied over my time with Prism. Towards the end of the placement, our focus had been on a large clinic validation project. A typical day would start with reviewing emails, checking the previous day’s tasks, and updating my to-do list (a tool I’ve come to deeply rely on!) before joining our daily team huddle. The rest of the day involved a balance of data work, problem-solving, and collaborating with the wider team to move the project forward.

What kind of projects or tasks were you involved in?

A key project I supported was the rollout of a patient engagement platform for an acute trust. Although my time with Prism was relatively short, the team made a conscious effort to include me in the wider strategic conversations, helping me understand how my tasks contributed to the overall delivery. This gave me a meaningful insight into the full lifecycle of consultancy work.

Did you face any unexpected challenges? How did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge for me personally was adapting to the pace and efficiency required in consultancy. If there is one key takeaway, it is that small consultancies like Prism work incredibly hard. The speed at which decisions are made and workstreams progress was impressive, and the team’s skill in managing rapid delivery and shifting requirements was inspiring.

Any challenge we faced was met with a “can-do” attitude, clear communication, and structured summaries from the Delivery Director to ensure we were aligned. This combination of clarity and teamwork helped me adjust and succeed.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned during your placement?

The most valuable lesson has been learning to step back and consider the bigger picture – the dynamics behind complex meetings, the governance structure that holds projects together, and the data foundations required to make good decisions.

I learned that kind, compassionate leadership and genuine understanding of colleagues create the conditions for teams to excel, even under pressure. Although I arrived without formal consultancy experience, I quickly realised that I shared many of the values Prism promotes. This helped me integrate into the team, balance competing priorities, and contribute meaningfully.

How has this experience shaped your understanding?

A key insight I gained is that for trusts to fully utilise a consultancy, they need a clear ask, well-defined expectations, and robust data management. Consultancies bring highly experienced, driven individuals who can deliver complex work. It I imperative to maximise their impact by ensuring the scope, timeline, and outcomes are aligned from the beginning.

Did you have a mentor or role models during your placement?

Everyone at Prism has been a mentor and role model in some way. The individuals I worked with were professional, empathetic, and exceptional communicators, consistently going above and beyond what was required.

Their work ethic, drive, and willingness to bring me up to speed with complex situations made a significant impression on me. I felt there was a great deal of continuity of oversight from the senior members of the team. Katie Johnstone, who inducted me on my first day, maintained regular check-ins and allowed me to assist with some back-office work.

Debbie Johnston, who oversaw most of my work on placement, took the time each day to check in, clarify expectations, and help strengthen both my understanding and my skill set.

I also had a great deal of time with Peter Fry, who helped guide me through some of the more complex high-level thought processes required in the senior operational arena.

These are just a few of the people who dedicated time to helping me develop, but the entire Prism team is a fantastic group of caring individuals who prioritise supporting their colleagues at all levels.

Has your placement influenced your career goals or direction?

Absolutely. This placement has opened my eyes to the opportunities available in healthcare outside of the NHS and helped me reflect on my ability to integrate with new teams and contribute effectively. It reinforced how values shape team behaviours and outcomes, and how shared purpose binds a team together.

How will this experience shape your future career?

My time with Prism has significantly influenced how I will approach my future career planning. I have gained a clearer understanding of where my strengths lie, particularly in service optimisation, collaborative problem-solving, and adapting quickly to new challenges.

This experience has shown me that I thrive in environments where values-driven teamwork, continuous improvement, and purposeful communication are central to success.

Moving forward, I plan to use these insights to seek roles that allow me to combine data-informed decision-making with compassionate leadership, whether within the NHS or in the wider healthcare and consultancy space.

Prism has helped me recognise that my clinical background, paired with growing strategic and analytical skills, positions me well for a career centred on improving healthcare systems. This placement has strengthened my ambition to pursue roles where I can have a meaningful impact on service design, operational performance, and ultimately patient experience.

About William Slee

William Slee is a General Management Trainee on the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme, currently based at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.

With a background in clinical practice, William made the transition into healthcare management through the graduate scheme, bringing a unique perspective to operational and strategic improvement work.