"As I travel around all areas of the UK meeting inspiring GPs who are achieving fantastic results every single day for their patients, I am always surprised at how many ask me 'what makes a great leader and how do I become one?
The truth is that most GPs are already great leaders – we are experts in dealing with uncertainty and complexity, co-ordinating multi-disciplinary teams and working as major players in our local communities and health economies.
We are expert medical generalists, but we are also diplomats, politicians, accountants, entrepreneurs, innovators and mentors.
Unlike management skills, leadership cannot be taught in the traditional sense, although it certainly can be learned and enhanced – and we all need help, especially in navigating the choppy waters of modern-day general practice and making sure that we are fit for the future and its inevitable challenges.
That's why the College has produced this new Leadership Strategy for our members everywhere, exploring what we mean by leadership specifically in a GP context and identifying the types of leaders we need to be developing.
I hope you find it a useful resource that sets us on the right path to high quality medical leadership for all who seek it, and drives wider improvement in the NHS for the benefit of our patients, our teams - and our own development".
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of RCGP Council
Introduction on Leadership
In this video, Dr Mike Holmes, Vice Chair, Membership & International talks about Leadership and what it means in different aspects of general practice, including the five pillars of leadership.
Leadership Strategy
The purpose of this new section of the RCGP website is to signpost College members to leadership resources available in the four countries of the UK and support the delivery of the RCGP's Leadership Strategy.
Support for Junior Doctors
Developing medical leadership is a toolkit produced by the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM) in partnership with Health Education England which signposts opportunities for leadership development.
The TSG How To Guides are a collection of practical resources to help junior doctors complete projects.
The inclusion of leadership is one of a number of proposed Workplace Based Assessment (WPBA) changes that have been submitted to the GMC for approval. Further details (for information only) about leadership can be found under the relevant heading within New WPBA Developments.
Mentoring
The FMLM provide a mentoring scheme and is available to their members at any career stage. GPs might also wish to contact their local RCGP Faculty to see if any local mentorship schemes are available.
Networking
The RCGP has been working closely with NHS Collaborate, which is a mutually supportive community of leaders across primary care.
Fellowships
Fellowships enable newly qualified GPs to enhance their clinical, educational and leadership potential and support current and future primary care workforce needs. A number of organisations offer Fellowships, including Health Education England and the FMLM Leadership Fellowship Scheme.
Several Deaneries throughout the UK also offer Fellowship schemes:
- Locally funded West Midlands 3 month fellowships
Appraisal and Revalidation
Although not always acknowledged, leadership and management is part of the professional lives of all doctors.
The RCGP guidance on Supporting Information for Appraisal and Revalidation explains that for the purposes of revalidation, GPs must reflect on supporting information that covers their full scope of practice, including any significant leadership roles, on an annual basis.
The FMLM has produced top tips for doctors and appraisers on how to refer to, evidence and reflect on managerial and leadership roles in medical appraisal.
Further information
Contact
Email: leadership@rcgp.org.uk