Prof Andy Brooks
NAPC Clinical Chair
I was sitting quietly one morning when my son came halfway down the stairs, poked his head through the bannisters and announced, ‘I have the green and yellow feeling’. Curious, I asked, ‘What’s the green and yellow feeling?’ He explained that he had his first spelling test later that day and felt worried. Attempting to fulfil my fatherly duties we went through both his list of words and how the process of a spelling test worked. Off he went to school.
Soon after, my son repeated the same statement: ‘I have the green and yellow feeling.’ Thinking I had it figured out, I asked, ‘What are you worried about?’ His answer surprised me. ‘Oh, I’m not worried about anything,’ he said. ‘This afternoon, I’m going to a friend’s birthday party, and we’re going ten-pin bowling for the first time.’ I have never been 10 pin bowling before and I am really excited about it. That’s why I have the green and yellow feeling.’
In September 2025 I started as the clinical chair for NAPC. I had the green and the yellow feeling. A mixture of nervous excitement that comes from the anticipation of doing something new. Another way of describing it would be butterflies in the stomach. In German, the idiom becomes ‘aeroplanes in the stomach,’ which sounds far more painful than a butterfly’s flutter.
The green element (according to the expert originator) reflects the worry of taking a spelling test. As I started the role, my own green anxiousness centred on a whole host of concerns. There was the usual, can I do this? Am I good enough? What will people be like? Am I going to stuff it up? There was also a recognition of what NAPC has achieved and was doing. I remember well as a young GP attending NAPC sessions about GP contracts and being inspired about what I heard.
When clinical commissioning groups were starting, I had a well-thumbed copy of an NAPC explainer – it set out so simply what it was all about. Primary Care Home was developed in 2015 and the principles used for primary care networks. This along with Activation, CARE Programme, Care Navigation, and Community Health and Wellbeing Workers (CHWWs), made me question what have I got to offer to an organisation that has been so innovative and influential far beyond primary care?
However, the yellow element of excitement was as equally palpable. I spent a good part of the last 15 years or so, trying, with a mixture of success and failure, to embrace and put into place what is now described as neighbourhood care. I was joining a group of clinicians and leaders who had the same values focused on population health, with more experience and expertise than I had seen in one room before. To be a part of this, to learn, and hopefully contribute was going to exhilarating. The Integrated Neighbourhood Teams programme was in full swing and the National Neighbourhood Implementation Programme was just getting going. What a time to be joining NAPC!
I have been in the role for 3 months now. From visiting places across the four nations to engaging members, supporting local systems, and hosting events and webinars – it’s been varied, and time has flown by. Thanks to all our members who participated in our survey. Watch this space as we refresh what NAPC has to offer.
Whilst the initial intensity of my green and yellow feeling has settled, I still have the same sense of expectation about what could happen. I have loved the last 3 months, and looking forward to seeing what the next few years hold. If the green and yellow feeling resonates with you, then please come and join us at NAPC. Membership is free and you will join a community of people who are nervously excited about making a difference.
My son is now in his early twenties, he never told me how the spelling test or 10 pin bowling went, although the green and yellow feeling pops up on occasion. For the last few years, I have been learning to embrace the green and yellow feeling myself. When I am feeling brave, I seek it out, challenge myself to be curious and not settle for being comfortable. The current situation facing the health and care system is far harder than a spelling test and yet the excitement is far greater than 10 pin bowling. Bring on the green and yellow feeling.
Interested in becoming an NAPC Member?
Membership brings at least three benefits:
- Influence national policy: Share your perspective in NAPC consultations and forums to help shape the future of health and care.
- Implement change in practice: Learn from peers, discover practical solutions, and apply them to improve your work and community health.
- Inspire others through leadership: Showcase your achievements at national events, in blogs, and on podcasts. Gain recognition for the impact you’re making in improving health and wellbeing, and motivate peers to drive positive change.
