Scarlett McNally: What do we need from doctors in leadership positions?
There’s clear evidence that many doctors aren’t valued in the NHS, and their potential as leaders is inadvertently curtailed. The resident doctors’ strike, the postgraduate medical training review, and the Leng review of physician and anaesthesia associates are all about to become a focus for the NHS. But we should also consider some other recent publications and the lessons they provide on developing doctors into future clinical leaders. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has a new “retention charter.”1 This describes psychiatrists as “clinical leaders and experts in the biopsychosocial model,” who should be included in multiprofessional structures, organisational decision making, and clinical service design. It provides a framework for retaining and nurturing doctors at the “mature level” to lead teams and services.1 Such practicalities …
