20 Years, 20 stories
For 20 years, IM has been shaped by the people who work here.
As part of our anniversary celebrations, we'll be sharing 20 stories throughout our anniversary year, highlighting colleagues from across the organisation. From those who have been with us for many years to colleagues who have joined more recently, each story offers a personal insight into their role, experiences and memories of working at IM.
Together, these stories celebrate the people behind Team IM, the relationships we've built and the contribution colleagues make every day to supporting health and care across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Whether you've worked alongside them for years or are getting to know them for the first time, we hope you enjoy reading their stories and learning more about the people who have helped shape IM over the past two decades.
Check back regularly as new stories are added throughout our anniversary year.
Steven Parker, Deputy Director and Chief Technology Officer
My career journey
After graduating from university in 2003, I began my career on an IT Service Desk supporting insurance agents. Back then, support tools were limited, and most issues were resolved through experience, problem-solving and guiding users step-by-step over the phone. It was a role that taught me the importance of customer service, effective communication and patience, skills that have stayed with me throughout my career.
In September 2004, I joined South Sefton Primary Care Trust as a Desktop Support Engineer, taking my first steps into NHS digital services. The digital landscape was very different then, but even at that stage it was clear that technology had a vital role to play in supporting patient care and the delivery of healthcare services.
I quickly progressed into a Desktop Support Team Manager role, where I gained my first experience of leading and developing teams. During this time, conversations around a shared IT service began to emerge, laying the foundations for what would eventually become NHS Informatics Merseyside (IM). Working within a relatively small team also provided opportunities to broaden my technical skills, from infrastructure and server support through to information security. I was fortunate to lead projects such as the rollout of centrally managed antivirus services and the migration from Novell GroupWise to Microsoft Outlook, helping modernise services across the organisation.
In October 2006, I joined the newly formed North Mersey Health Informatics Service (HIS), bringing together digital teams from organisations across the region. It was the beginning of an ambitious shared service model that would evolve into the organisation we know today as IM.
My next significant step came in 2007 when I successfully secured the role of Senior Technical Architect within the newly established Technical Architecture function. Alongside this, I also took on site management responsibilities for Sefton, providing valuable experience in balancing strategic planning with operational delivery.
Over the following years, I continued to develop my experience while supporting work across the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) programme, using technology to help improve efficiency, innovation and service delivery.
In 2013, I was appointed Central Service Delivery Manager and joined the Operational Management Team. This role gave me responsibility for several key functions including IT Security, Desktop Support, Configuration Management and Service Delivery Management. Working alongside talented and dedicated colleagues, we successfully brought together teams from across the organisation to operate as a truly integrated shared service.
In 2015, I was appointed Associate Director of IT, taking responsibility for IT operational services across the organisation. It was a privilege to lead services through a period of rapid technological change, increasing demand from healthcare partners, and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, when digital services demonstrated just how vital they are to the delivery of healthcare.
In October 2023, I was honoured to take on the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Deputy Director of IM. Looking back, it has been a privilege to develop from a frontline support role into a leadership position within the same organisation.
What IM means to me
One of the things I am most proud of is to see how the organisation has gone from strength to strength. IM has always been a place that encourages people to develop, embrace new opportunities and achieve their potential. Throughout my journey, I have been trusted with new challenges, supported by exceptional colleagues and given opportunities to progress that I could never have imagined when I first joined the NHS.
While technology has changed dramatically over the last two decades, what has remained constant is the dedication, expertise and commitment of the people who make up Team IM and the organisation it is today. IM’s success has always been built on collaboration, innovation and a shared desire to make a positive difference for our healthcare professionals and the patients they serve.
For me, IM is much more than a workplace. It is a community of talented individuals who support one another, continually strive to improve, and share a genuine passion for delivering outstanding digital services. I feel incredibly privileged to have been part of that journey and look forward to seeing Team IM continue to grow and succeed in the years ahead.
A message of thanks from Steven Parker
