Excellence. Management guru Tom Peters was 'In Search of Excellence' when, in 1985, he wrote his seminal book. It is still valid today.

I met Tom after I had published my first management book FutureProofing (I think now out of print, so not so proof!) we compared notes. What was the one enduring message in our books? Tom said straight away 'management by wandering about'... so right.

I said I thought my bit was; 'If you can imagine it, it can happen'.

I've always followed Tom's advice; get out and about. Success and failure is held in the balance, every day, at the front-line. Whether it's a factory, a shop, a hospital or community service, you can't run it until you've smelt it. You have to go and get involved. If I had my way no Trust chief executive would have an office. I'd burn their desks.

The NHS is in pursuit of excellence. For as long as I have been involved, the mantra; do what we do better, quicker, safer and for less. There are some things we still struggle with.

Joint working is one. The obvious 'no-brainer' is crash health and social care together and sort the bits as we go along. There is an urgent need to do it. Right now the NHS is selling cars... but you have to go down the road to buy the wheels. 

Are there examples of really good integrated services? I mean unified not just joined up. Working seamlessly. There is a place, I know where it is, I've been there, seen it.

Getting GPs to syndicate their practice, not just their practices... a lot of pressure could be taken off the services if GPs federated, confederated, affiliated, worked in synchronisation, whatever, with each other. This is very tricky to do as it means joining up independent traders and there's money, processes and egos to sort out.

It can be done. I know a place that is taking the first steps but they will deliver because they know it is vital.

Lean; I also know a place where, for a brave investment, the Trust has installed a robot to receive, stack, retrieve, triple-check and despatch prescription drugs. It has cut errors to almost none, saved time-to-discharge, cut costs and never goes home.

All the palaver about NHS111 and 999; I've seen a place where highly skilled call handlers do both types of call. The centre also handles out-of-hours doctors and (wait for it) crisis teams for mental health and social care.

I've met outreach teams that not only include occupational therapists and district nurses but social workers. They sit, side by side, in the same office.

I have spoken with a chief executive of a local authority, at the same table as the CCG who said; 'It doesn't matter who runs social services, as long as they are well run and deliver for people'. At the same meeting the deputy leader of the Council agreed.

I have spoken with an impressively good ex-soldier who runs voluntary services; debt counselling, Relate, CAB and goodness knows how many more. He has put a wrapper around them, takes care of the back-office, runs the whole thing like a business and provides 150 seamless consultations a week out of modern customer friendly offices.

I travel miles around England seeing fabulous stuff but I didn't have to go far to see all these examples. They are all in the Isle of Wight. The IoW healthcare economy is one of most forward thinking, well run and organised I have seen, anywhere and I bet you didn't know!

There's loadsa good stuff, all over. Bristol and Surrey have invested in mobile working for community staff; stunning stuff. The problem is; we don't know about it. Imagine there was a way to share good ideas.

Like I wrote, all those years ago, in FutrureProofing; I imagined it and it is going to happen. This Saturday we launch The Academy of Fabulous NHS Stuff.  Yes, Valentines Day; coz we love the NHS.

It's simple and free; upload 500 words and three pictures of your fabulous stuff, plus contact details. It will be tagged, indexed and there for others to find, download and share.

Big stuff, little stuff, stuff that made a difference.  Stuff that solves problems; bright ideas, stuff that makes you proud and stuff that makes you smile.  Stuff that will save someone else inventing the wheel.

Will the idea get traction, work and deliver? Dunno; It's up to you. Good stuff is going on everywhere. I see it all the time. I want you to see it, too.

Have a good weekend. 

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'What is the point of a select committee' come and join me in conversation with Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, chair of the Health Select Committee.

 Kings Fund 11th March - details here. 

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