International work and leadership in UK general practice

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an exploration of the leadership competencies developed by UK GPs through having undertaken international work and the ability to transfer these competencies back to the UK. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is a cross-sectional survey. Findings – A total of 439 UK-based, ranging from GP specialty trainees to retired GPs who had worked overseas, responded to an online survey of UK general practice and international work. Doctors were asked to report competency development through international work using the domains of the Medical Leadership Competency Framework (MLCF). The most common competencies developed, to a “moderate or significant” degree, related to “personal qualities” (89 per cent) and “working in teams” (87 per cent). To a lesser extent Doctors developed competencies in “setting direction” (60 per cent), “managing services” (59 per cent), and “service improvement” (56 per cent), and found these competencies harder to transfer back to the UK. A common reason for limited transfer of competency was the lack of leadership opportunities for Doctors when returning to UK locum roles. Overseas posts were more common in low/middle income countries, and these Doctors reported a greater range of leadership roles, including in health policy, management and teaching, compared to high-income countries. Most doctors felt that they were able to develop their clinical skills overseas whilst relatively few Doctors performed research, especially in high-income countries. Originality/value – To the authors' knowledge this is the first cross-sectional survey exploring the international work of UK GPs and leadership development using the MLCF domains.

The benefits of international volunteering in a low-resource setting: development of a core outcome set

“…[4] Professional revalidation issuesFor consultants‘Another common barrier was keeping up appraisal in light of the recent changes to GPrevalidation’. [11] LitigationLegal issues involving clinical/professional risk‘Clinical-professional risk- litigation’ (Morgan, 2012) SecurityExposure to aggressionViolence and deathBecoming a victim of crimePolitical unrest‘Examples range from involvement in criminal activity (either as perpetrator or victim)’ (Lumb, 2014) Carbon footprint‘Another health and safety issue is the carbon footprint’. (Pearson et al 2014) Culture shock‘Culture shock due to the contextual differences and challenges faced in resource poor settings’.…”

“…Literature that explores what and how healthcare professionals learn from temporarily working or volunteering in a low-resource setting tends to report anecdotes or single reports, which provide a lower level of evidence [4, 10]. Furthermore, benefits are detailed in broad categories, with ‘leadership’, ‘communication’ and ‘cultural awareness’ being frequently reported [3, 11–13], with a focus on one of these skill sets in depth or a list of outcomes under umbrella terms, such as communication or leadership skills [3, 14]. These broad labels make an assessment of the learning outcomes difficult as they might contain multiple underpinning knowledge, skills, practice and attitudes.…”

A systematic review of physician retirement planning

“…Over the last 40 years, across multiple jurisdictions, a pattern has emerged whereby a disproportionate number of physicians continue to practice beyond the traditional retirement age of approximately 65 years old [1, 2]. Accordingly, healthcare organizations often do not have effective succession strategies in place to manage their aging medical staff.…”