Page 7 - QARANC Vol 18 No 1 2020

The Gazette QARANC Association 5
the positives in others and so bring out the best of those around her. Unafraid to put her head above the parapet to identify a problem or turn the stone to get at the root of the issue, she was equally as comfortable in articulating sticky issues to her peers, as she was to senior officers.
She was widely recognised across the ranks of Defence Medical Services personnel as ‘the best boss I have ever worked for’. Always approachable, she gave willingly of her time, always encouraging her staff to feel more valued and fully empowered to meet their challenges, no matter how difficult her own day. Undaunted by the challenges and enormity of tasks which many of her latter assignments presented, she was unfailingly cheerful and was known for her sense of humour. She had a superb knack of timing and could lighten the most difficult of meetings and work projects with laughter.
Her drive, ambition and influence across all stakeholders to improve
the safety and quality of care are skills which many have strived to emulate. From the early stages in her career she instilled kindness, compassion and care amongst all with whom she worked; whilst managing to balance exemplar leadership qualities with unwavering integrity and humility.
Married to Ian, whom she met while they were both serving in Aldershot, Jan kept her maiden name throughout her military career. A very private person, Jan was immensely proud of her family with whom she enjoyed travelling, mountain biking and skiing, as well as trying new sports with her sons Tom and Ollie. In recent years she had found and made a wonderful home for ‘her boys’ near Lichfield and had begun to find the perfect work- life balance; enjoying both immensely. Keen always to contribute to the community who had made this military family so welcome, her other great passion was developing youth skills through her work as an assistant leader in the local Scout Group.
Such was her consideration for others, Jan kept the details of her illness, which was initially diagnosed in 2014 private, never letting it define either her, or her relationship with others. An adored daughter, sister, aunt, wife and mother, she has also been a confidante, ‘critical friend’ and immense supporter of the QARANC. She is missed widely but will be remembered always.
Throughout her long career, Jan has made significant impact on healthcare delivery, and has left a lasting legacy of improvements to patient care which will endure. Her compelling drive for improvement, and her selfless, caring nature continue to encourage and be an inspiration for her colleagues for whom it has been a huge privilege to serve.
Colonel Ian Poole