Doctors as Leaders and Managers
Primary Care SSCs 2014-15
To apply for this SSC please contact the relevant person direct.
Please also copy in the Primary Care Teaching Office.
Supervisor name: Lesley Wye, Helen Baxter & Becca Robinson
phc-teaching@bristol.ac.uk
Max no. of students: 3
curriculum year: 3
email address:
Lesley.wye@bristol.ac.uk
SSC title: Primary Care SSC - Doctors as leaders and managers
Location: Bristol – exact practice TBA but see below
Description: Many students come to medical school with an interest in healing the sick, but doctors have many other
roles. For example, GPs are now responsible for allocating about 80% of the NHS budget and planning service
changes, although their training in these areas is minimal at best. Moreover, Bristol medical students get very little
education in leadership or managerial skills, despite the fact that they will be leading teams and possibly managing
businesses, if they chose to become GPS. The aim of this SSC is to help students learn more about their own
leadership and management skills, observe local clinical leaders to identify behaviours they could adopt and learn
more about the role of doctors as managers. It is run by a trainee occupational psychologist, a social scientist with a
research background in organisations and a NHS manager.
There will be two teaching sessions of half a day each. In the first day the students will be introduced to the core
concepts, undertake some psychological testing to determine management and leadership styles, learn observation
skills and set their objects for the observation phase. Each student will have a placement with one of three local
clinical leaders who work as GPs and as clinical leads for Bristol or North Somerset Clinical Commissioning Groups
(the organisations that allocate funding). These clinical leads have responsibility for long term conditions, cancer and
urgent care. Students will observe their clinical lead for one session at a GP practice and one session in their clinical
commissioning role. The second day of teaching will take place after clinical placements finish when the students
will share their observations and further their learning about their own management styles. Each student will also
produce a reflective essay on their experience and learning.
At the end of the course, students will have gained observation and reflective skills, be more confident about their
strengths and weaknesses as a leader and know more about how the financial side of the NHS works.
How to apply
Please email Lesley Wye and copy in the PHC teaching office
There are only 3 spaces, so early application is advisable
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