The Darzi Fellows Leadership Programme

London Deanery, NHS London and the Centre for Innovation in Health Management (CIHM) are providing trainee doctors with the unique opportunity to develop organisational and leadership skills necessary for their future roles as consultants and clinical leaders.

Forty one London Darzi Fellows are currently working in Primary and Secondary Care Trusts, including Mental Health Trusts, for a twelve month ‘Out of Programme Experience’. The Fellows are supported by the Bespoke Leadership Development Programme for management and organisational change which ties into their specific projects and was designed by CIHM at the University of Leeds. Darzi Fellows are participating in this live programme that is designed to immerse them in the process of change.

The London Fellows will work full time with their Trusts, the local community, and their Medical Director or nominated Clinical Director. The programme uses a variety of methods to focus on finding solutions and bringing about change. These methods include learning laboratories, experiments, exercises and group discussion. They encourage participants to reflect on their own experience and examine their values and work practices.

The Darzi Fellowships essentially have three components, these are:

1. A change management project:
Working closely with the Medical Director or nominated deputy to support the
development of services changes, in keeping with the principles of Lord
Darzi’s ‘Next Stage Review’.

2.) A quality improvement / safety improvement / clinical governance project:
Devising, leading and delivering a local quality improvement, safety improvement or clinical governance initiative within their Trust.

3.) Supporting capacity building within the Trust for training and generic skills:
Working with various departments within the Trust to develop the capacity for training in one or more essential organisational skills.

The inaugural launch of the Darzi Fellows Leadership Programme was held at the Royal Society of Medicine on Tuesday April 28, 2009. Enthusiastic London Darzi Fellows, Dr Neil Browning, Dr Maya Nagatnam and Dr David Bridle addressed the group and spoke about their projects, along with how they came to be involved in the programme and what they hoped to achieve throughout the twelve month period.

Key speakers included Professor Lord Darzi, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health who participated via video conference, along with Ruth Carnell, NHS London Chief Executive and Dr Andy Mitchell, Director of NHS London and the London Clinical and Business Support Agency. The Fellows were encouraged to ensure that quality improvement and patient safety is at the centre of patient care.

Dr Fiona Moss, Postgraduate Dean London Deanery designed the concept of the fellowship programme and was one of the key speakers at the event. She commented that 'Training for quality improvement and safety includes training clinicians not only to be very good at looking after individual patients but also ensuring that they acquire the organisational skills to enable them to look after the system of care on behalf of their patients.'

The NHS Next Stage Review Final Report – ‘High Quality Care For All’ sets out a comprehensive vision for the future of healthcare and the priorities for local improvements. The report emphasises the importance of a range of non-clinical skills and provides the framework for the Darzi Fellowship Leadership Programme. For further information please contact the Leading for Health team: Leadingforhealth@london.nhs.uk

* Photo: Fiona Moss addresses the Darzi Fellows at the inaugural launch event