Learning to swim with the Griffiths tide

Extending management training for senior registrars

It is recognised that the consultants of the future will have a greater management role than those of the past. The Griffiths report (1983) regarded doctors as ‘natural managers’, although this has been challenged by some authors. They suggest that medical training, with its emphasis on the individual case and rapid decision-making (Higgins, 1989), leads to a very different perspective from the manager considering the often competing long-term needs of many individuals.

Management and leadership training: the need for an educational strategy

It is increasingly recognised that effectiveness and efficiency of health care delivery depends on sound clinical leadership. Few would now disagree that if doctors are to carry out their clinical and management roles effectively within the NHS they must have a full appreciation of the organisation within which they work and possess the necessary management and leadership skills. Good management is an integral part of good clinical practice.