Clinical leadership in the ambulance service

Abstract

Ambulance Services in England have recently launched the Report of the National Steering Group on Clinical Leadership in the Ambulance Service. This is the first document specifically reviewing the roles and development of Clinical Leadership, at all levels, for UK ambulance service clinicians. The document covers an evidence-based review of clinical leadership principles outlined in key policy documents, publications and systems; a strategic framework for clinical leadership in ambulance service; and includes examples of good current practice in ambulance service clinical leadership and development Clinical leadership has been referred to in a number of key policy documents; most notably, Taking Healthcare to the Patient: Transforming NHS Ambulance Services (DH 2005) made a number of recommendations of which Recommendation 62 is the most relevant to this document. “There should be improved opportunity for career progression, with scope for ambulance professionals to become clinical leaders. While ambulance trusts will always need clinical direction from a variety of specialties, they should develop the potential of their own staff to influence clinical developments and improve and assure quality of care.” This report focuses on putting theory into practice, a proposed clinical leadership ladder and a clinical leadership self-assessment tool for individuals and organisations. Some clinical leadership examples are also included. The completed report was formally launched at the Ambulance Leadership Forum (English ambulance services, with participation for Clinical Leadership from the other UK ambulance services) in April 2009 and will pave the way for the development of the Ambulance Service National Future Clinical Leaders Group. This national pilot, involving all the UK NHS ambulance services, will comprise of staff with paramedic backgrounds who will receive leadership development to work with the CEOs and Directors of Clinical Care groups to progress clinical quality and clinical leadership development in the ambulance service. https://emj.bmj.com/content/27/6/490.2. This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/emj.2009.078915