Leadership, Management and Organisation
There are many non-clinical situations in which your role as an independent practitioner will evolve from that of a Doctor or Dentist in Training. Here are some resources on the common themes around leadership, management and organisation skills that have been identified by newly qualified consultants and GPs.
Working with others and learning about yourself
Deanery Courses: There are several courses ran by LSFD which focus on different non-clinical skills that are very useful for independent practice roles such as the Leadership and Management Programme (LAMP) and the Bridging the Transition to Post-CCT workshops. Upcoming courses can be seen and booked here.
Civility Saves Lives: The Civility Saves Lives campaign has an excellent website with a wealth of information about the importance of healthy teamwork and communication for the benefit of patient care. Information on the website includes engaging TED talks, the evidence supporting the importance of civil workplaces, and resources compiled from various royal colleges and NHS bodies.
How to Run and Chair a meeting
You may be tasked with running and chairing departmental or practice meetings, a skill which is not routinely used in training. There are opportunities within training that can be discussed within your clinical supervisor particularly when setting your PDPs. We have compiled a set of useful resources to look at when that first chairing experience does come.
Writing a Business Case
In your independent practice role you may be involved with, and lead on, service improvement, which may include the process of writing a Business Case. Health Innovation Oxford have produced a set of YouTube tutorials around healthcare service improvement, and this episode on developing NHS Business cases is particularly relevant in NHS practice: Health Innovation Oxford - Developing NHS Business Case (Youtube)
Further useful but non-NHS focused information about writing a business case is available in this short article by Adobe: How to Write the Perfect Business Case - Adobe (2022).
Please note that your organisation may have their own business development team and format for writing business cases which you should consult first. These resources outline the general principles only.
Developing a new service
British Medical Journal: Some background information around service design and delivery is available online, but be aware that the specifics will be individual to the organisation you work in. The BMJ has produced some short articles explaining the principles including Setting up a new service and What is clinical governance?
e-Learning for Healthcare: There is a range of information and online courses available through e-LFH. One such module which is particularly helpful is the e-LFH Change Management.
Managing Complaints
Medical defence organisations: The medical defence organisations websites have a range of resources available discussing various types of complaints and in different settings. A starting point is this podcast series from the MPS – this specific episode "Why did I get a complaint?" explores common themes irrespective to area of work.
BMA: There are further resources specific to specialties available. For example, the BMA has produced similarly specific guidance for complaints in general practice.
Coroner’s Court
Crown Prosecution Service: During your training you may have been involved in cases that involved the Coroner, but the role of an independent practitioner in such cases can differ from that of a Doctor or Dentist in Training. The Crown Prosecution Service has published a dictionary-like resource explaining the basics of coroner’s court guidance, available here.
Medical Defence Organisation: The medical defence organisations have up-to-date resources, including studies of relevant cases. The MDU has produced a document detailing the Duties of a Doctor in Coroners' Inquiries (England & Wales). Similarly, this article by the MPS explains the inquest process and the role we play in it: Assisting The Coroner - Understanding the Inquest Process and Potential Outcomes. (Clare Stapleton, MPS)
Dealing with speciality-specific complaints: Speciality-specific advice is available from the defence unions. A good example of this is the following MDDUS article on dealing with complaints in dental practice: Resolving patient complaints | MDDUS