As a communications manager in today's NHS, I would like to plead that chief executives everywhere make use of the technology and information that is literally at their own fingertips. Now that the NHS web is very much up and running, everyone who has access to it should use it, from chief executives down.

There is so much expertise out there in the new NHS - isn't it time we started sharing this rather than re-inventing the wheel? My vision for the new NHS is to see people and organisations working much more closely together, 'in partnership', even - learning from each other and sharing good practice. Let's see more bulletin boards and discussion boards on the NHS web. Chief executives have their own discussion/bulletin board - with the catchy address of http://nww.inform.nhsweb.nhs. uk/discuss/chiefexec. My own chief exec, Mike Marchment, thinks it is is the best thing since sliced bread.

Let's stop being parochial and precious about systems and good ideas. Let's get into a culture where we aren't afraid to ask colleagues in the NHS for advice, where we can benefit from each other's blood, sweat and toil for that one great organisation we all work for - the NHS.

Carole Appleby

Corporate communications manager

Southern Derbyshire HA