Tomorrow’s leaders – the role of leadership in medical education and training

Delivering safe, high-quality patient care is dependent on high-quality clinical leadership. The General Medical Council has outlined the capabilities expected to be achieved through the medical curricula leading to full registration and Certificate of Completion of Training but our training programmes are not yet consistent on how the capabilities are best acquired. Trainees can begin by understanding their own strengths and reflecting on how they interact in the team; trainers can use existing opportunities to enable greater and more specific learning on how to lead across all the opportunities available during routine clinical activity. Some trainees may wish to expand on their leadership portfolio through national and local fellowships; however, all doctors need to understand how to lead in different situations to ensure the safest possible patient care.