Improving clinical leadership and management in the NHS

oving clinical leadership and management in the NHS Review (2739) Total Article Views Authors: Nicol ED Published Date August 2012 Volume 2012:4 Pages 59 - 69 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S28298 Received: 24 April 2012 Accepted: 16 May 2012 Published: 08 August 2012 Edward D Nicol1,2 1Department of Cardiology, Royal Brompton Hospital and Harefield NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom; 2Clinical Leadership Academy, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom Abstract: The National Health Service (NHS) is one of the UKs most cherished but political public institutions, providing healthcare, free at the point of delivery. The English NHS must make ￡20bn efficiency savings in the next 3 years whilst in the midst of fundamental structural change outlined in the government's Health and Social Care Bill. This paper will explore the history of leadership and management in the NHS; the evolution of clinical leadership; national strategies to improve NHS clinical and managerial leadership and Lord Darzi's pivotal NHS review. It defines the kind of leadership and management required for today's NHS, looking to overcome some of the main challenges such as improving healthcare quality whilst making efficiency savings and engaging grass roots workers to deliver sustainable, long term improvements. Finally this manuscript makes suggestions as to where future investment is required to improve clinical leadership and management in the NHS.