The Welsh Clinical Leadership Fellows Programme

This year has seen the inaugural cohort of Welsh fellows undertake a year’s management and leadership experience embedded within the Welsh Government or Local Health Boards. All four of the fellows are undertaking a leadership training program run by Academi Wales (the Welsh public service’s centre for leadership excellence), project work within our organisations and shadowing NHS leaders. This will culminate in a postgraduate diploma. We have also been given the opportunity to work with large organisations outside of NHS Wales such as ‘1000 Lives Plus’ to improve their impact.

Our year began by joining the English Clinical Fellows introductory sessions, allowing us to learn about NHS England; but also to work and socialise with the English fellows, forming contacts that we believe will be of mutual benefit for the rest of our careers.

We are all learning quickly that the NHS is a dynamic organisation, which changes quickly depending on a single decision or announcement. The opening months of these projects have exposed us to many new challenges. While occasionally frustrating, they have undoubtedly battle hardened us to management within the NHS. The opportunity to shadow key leaders of the NHS in Wales has inspired each of us and instilled in us a desire to advance the role of clinical leadership in the NHS.

Each fellow has selected a specific project from a variety of options covering a broad group of medical specialties. These projects are focused on improving an existing service or instigating a new one.  This process will allow the fellows to develop the skills involved in project initiation, implementation and evaluation of the service. The main aim of all the projects is to improve patient care and safety.