Quality Improvement and leadership resources:
Quality Improvement, Leadership and Practice Management Training
GP is more than just seeing patients. Many, if not all of you, will eventually become involved in managing practices or developing areas of wider healthcare services. This is often an area that trainees feel is less important during their busy training programmes. However, if you ask them a few years after leaving VTS it is a common complaint that they wish they had learnt more about it. This, together with recent NHS changes putting more emphasis on GP involvement in health service planning and management, means that the deanery has put your developing these skills high on its agenda.
Both RCGP and Health Education England have extensive information to support the development of Quality Improvement (QI) within VTS schemes and all GPs now have to demonstrate an involvement in QI at their appraisals.
Contrary to what you may believe QI projects can be enjoyable, educational and really can change things for the better.
In ST1 or 2 GP placements it is suggested that you undertake an audit or small change management project.
In ST3 you are expected to undertake a more comprehensive change management or quality improvement project.
Click here for overview of these
In the Plymouth VTS we will over several introductory sessions around relevant topics. This is to help you develop some ideas and to give you some theoretical background to QI, leadership and management. We will then run a series of supportive sessions through the year to help you make progress with your project. It is vital that you have support. We will give you a small group of peers to work with, and you will also need a mentor at your practice (often but not always your trainer) to assist and motivate you. You will need to work with your practice or another team to successfully complete the implementation of your project.
Usually around May/ June in ST3 we have a joint session with the trainer's workshop where you will be expected to display a poster outlining your project and what you have achieved. You will also be expected to reflect on the process and what you have learnt, through your e-portfolio where you will record it as an audit/ project in a log entry. This will be reviewed at your final ARCP.
Click here for an overview of the competencies you are expected to achieve
We will give you time to discuss these and see previous years efforts beforehand.
Click here for a thorough assessment form that you can use with your GP trainer. When you have completed your project your trainer will assess that you have achieved the competencies and record this in your e-portfolio at your final review
Here are some useful QI links for further advice, reading and background:
NHS Improvement, Simple Guide to Improving Services
RCGP QI Guide
Guide to using driver diagrams (Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
South West Academic Health Sciences Network (local resources for QI)
South West Patient Safety Collaborative (more resources and access to on-line QI tools)
We will also undertake a range of specific management sessions through your 3 year course. During your time in GP it is useful to expose yourself to as many management type opportunities as you can, reflect on these and make links to relevant management theory.
Click here for further ideas about this
Finally there is a comprehensive programme of leadership development - "Learning to Lead". This has been produced by HEE. It is a practical programme of opportunities open to all, that is great for development through your training and beyond. It's not just boring NHS papers, being packed full of great TED talk links, interesting reading and other gems. Take a look, it may just change the course of your career!!
Click here for Learning to Lead Programme
Both RCGP and Health Education England have extensive information to support the development of Quality Improvement (QI) within VTS schemes and all GPs now have to demonstrate an involvement in QI at their appraisals.
Contrary to what you may believe QI projects can be enjoyable, educational and really can change things for the better.
In ST1 or 2 GP placements it is suggested that you undertake an audit or small change management project.
In ST3 you are expected to undertake a more comprehensive change management or quality improvement project.
Click here for overview of these
In the Plymouth VTS we will over several introductory sessions around relevant topics. This is to help you develop some ideas and to give you some theoretical background to QI, leadership and management. We will then run a series of supportive sessions through the year to help you make progress with your project. It is vital that you have support. We will give you a small group of peers to work with, and you will also need a mentor at your practice (often but not always your trainer) to assist and motivate you. You will need to work with your practice or another team to successfully complete the implementation of your project.
Usually around May/ June in ST3 we have a joint session with the trainer's workshop where you will be expected to display a poster outlining your project and what you have achieved. You will also be expected to reflect on the process and what you have learnt, through your e-portfolio where you will record it as an audit/ project in a log entry. This will be reviewed at your final ARCP.
Click here for an overview of the competencies you are expected to achieve
We will give you time to discuss these and see previous years efforts beforehand.
Click here for a thorough assessment form that you can use with your GP trainer. When you have completed your project your trainer will assess that you have achieved the competencies and record this in your e-portfolio at your final review
Here are some useful QI links for further advice, reading and background:
NHS Improvement, Simple Guide to Improving Services
RCGP QI Guide
Guide to using driver diagrams (Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
South West Academic Health Sciences Network (local resources for QI)
South West Patient Safety Collaborative (more resources and access to on-line QI tools)
We will also undertake a range of specific management sessions through your 3 year course. During your time in GP it is useful to expose yourself to as many management type opportunities as you can, reflect on these and make links to relevant management theory.
Click here for further ideas about this
Finally there is a comprehensive programme of leadership development - "Learning to Lead". This has been produced by HEE. It is a practical programme of opportunities open to all, that is great for development through your training and beyond. It's not just boring NHS papers, being packed full of great TED talk links, interesting reading and other gems. Take a look, it may just change the course of your career!!
Click here for Learning to Lead Programme
