20.02.13
NHS leadership programme launched
A new leadership programme is to be launched by the NHS Leadership Academy and a range of academic institutions and firms, with a goal of ensuring care never again slips to the standards highlighted in the Francis report.
A foundation level programme will be offered with the Academy, The Open University and the Hay Group. Mid and senior level programmes will be offered in conjunction with KPMG, University of Birmingham and Manchester Business School.
The programme will be available to up to 25,000 NHS staff across a range of roles, to help improve their leadership skills and deliver better patient care. The organisations working with the Academy were chosen through a competitive tender process and are being supported by National Voices to ensure the programmes are focused on patients’ needs.
The foundation and mid level courses will offer an academic award and can be undertaken on a part-time basis. They are due to begin this September.
Karen Lynas, deputy managing director of the NHS Leadership Academy, said: “Our goal is for NHS patients to be treated in a culture of compassion, dignity and respect, and, as we have seen, this cannot be achieved if we don’t have appropriately-skilled leaders at every level of the service.
“We want to ensure that the pockets of excellence that already exist in the NHS become the norm, become what we expect our NHS to be. This requires support and development for all our leaders.”
Health minister Dr Dan Poulter said: “Robert Francis QC’s recent report into Mid Staffordshire demonstrated more clearly than ever the need for developing leadership in the NHS to bring about the change of culture needed to truly improve the quality of care for patients.
“The NHS Leadership Academy’s programmes will for the first time develop leaders in every profession and at every level to influence the culture and values of the NHS from ward to board. This is a key step in putting outstanding, compassionate leadership at the heart of our NHS.”
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