Professionalism and Excellence in Scottish Medicine - A Progress Report

Annex C

Role of the National Leadership Unit

The National Leadership Unit is responsible for delivering a number of national leadership development programmes and activities. These are outlined below, with particular reference to their relevance for doctors' leadership development opportunities:

• Delivering the Future, a development programme aimed at preparing senior clinical leaders from across the clinical professions for future roles at Board, regional and national level. The programme which commenced in November 2005 is now recruiting for the ninth cohort (commencing in November 2013). Each cohort consists of 24 participants selected by a local (Health Board level) recruitment process. Over the 9 cohorts, around 40 - 50% are doctors.
• Leading for the Future, an innovative package of leadership and management development which has been designed specifically for those in senior leadership positions in health (both clinical and non-clinical) and social care who are on the cusp between facing operational and more strategic leadership challenges. It is currently run in partnership across 17 Health Boards and one Local Authority in Scotland and facilitated by in-house Organisational Development (OD) professionals. Over the past 2 years, in particular, the number of medical leaders participating in the programme has increased markedly: from 4 (out of 76) in the 2nd cohort, to 15 (out of 106) in the 3rd, and 27 (out of 132) in the current cohort.
• Raising your Game, a tailored programme of executive coaching and national master classes which is aimed at senior leaders who have recently taken on Executive level leadership roles.
• Playing to your strengths, a brief development intervention which is aimed at those in senior executive leadership roles and supports them (through a development centre and targeted coaching) to build on their strengths and formulate a targeted personal development plan.
• Leading Quality Network, which connects existing clinical and non-clinical networks, communities and partner organisations to increase our collective capacity and capability in applying QI methodologies and leadership to improve quality and outcomes across Scotland. The primary driver for the creation of the LQN is the recognition that the ongoing implementation of the Healthcare Quality Strategy requires people at all levels of the health & social care system to focus on quality improvement. There is wide recognition that quality improvement requires leadership and an enabling learning culture. Therefore, the network aims to capitalise and build on the development of individuals' QI and leadership expertise and skills on national programmes by bringing together programme alumni and others who are interested in QI and/or leadership and enabling shared learning and spread of practice.
• Management Trainee Scheme, a fast-track scheme to develop leadership capacity and potential in NHSScotland; provides opportunities to 'pair' learners in general management and medical trainees as well as other clinical trainees.

A number of additional development priorities have been identified through the review of the 2009-2012 NHSScotland leadership development strategy, all of which have relevance for leadership development provision for doctors. A number of development offerings will be developed in 2013-14, in collaboration between the NLU, colleagues across NES and local Health Board partners:

• Emerging leaders, i.e., those who are currently in front line leader roles, or who have the potential to take on a more formal leadership role, or who demonstrate personal leadership, e.g., in how they lead a specific quality improvement initiative or delivery of care.
• Leading wider systems change, i.e., provision of leadership development and networking opportunities for people who are skilled in quality improvement science.
• Medical and clinical leadership development including primary care, i.e., making much clearer connections between the stages of leadership development available at local, regional and national levels.