Applications for 2026/27 Cohort Opening Soon

BCS Emerging Leaders Programme

Unlock your leadership potential and drive positive change in cardiology and the NHS with the BCS Emerging Leaders Programme

About the Programme

The British Cardiovascular Society’s Leadership Academy was established in 2019 to develop leadership skills for healthcare professionals through expert faculty. 

As part of the BCS Academy, the BCS Emerging Leaders Programme is designed to empower healthcare professionals with the skills required to lead service transformation and extend their influence in the field of cardiology.

The programme incorporates sessions with key NHS and professional leaders whom delegates would rarely have the opportunity to meet in person otherwise. They will share their perspectives on leadership, career progression, and the experiences that have contributed to their professional success.

The programme offers a unique opportunity for professional growth and development.

ELP Cohort 6 Group Photo

Cohort 8: 2026/2027 – Applications opening soon

The 2026/2027 Emerging Leaders Programme will take place over eight sessions, running from September 2026 to June 2027. 

In addition to five sessions held in London, the programme includes two days in Cambridge with an overnight stay and a session in Manchester ahead of the BCS Annual Conference 2027. Please see the tentative programme further down this webpage for further information. 

The Programme is underwritten by BCS, with delegates asked to contribute £750 towards the cost. 

The programme fee includes dinner and accommodation costs in Cambridge and accommodation costs in Manchester. Delegates will receive complimentary registration for the BCS Annual Conference in June 2027. Please note that delegates will be responsible for their transport costs for all programme days in London, Cambridge and Manchester.

Application Criteria

There are 20 delegate places available on a competitive basis. 

Prospective applicants must be BCS members and meet one of the following criteria:

  • Cardiology trainees within one year of CCT (by June 2026)
  • Consultant cardiologists within five years of their first appointment (by June 2026)
  • Physiologists on the HSST or RCP programme on the path to becoming consultant clinical scientists
  • Senior nurses or radiographers at Band 8A or above

We encourage applications from all backgrounds, cultures, and identities and from all regions of the UK.

If you are unsure if you meet the criteria, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

BCS Leadership Opportunities

The programme represents a significant investment in developing future leadership skills. Therefore, ELP members are expected to use the skills they have developed in the Emerging Leaders Programme to stand for BCS Committee roles or BCS-related activities when opportunities arise. Standing for positions within BCS Committees also provides ELP participants and alumni with the practical opportunity to develop further the skills they built during the program and engage these skills in achieving change and development for the cardiology workforce.

Please note the programme sessions, dates, and locations are being finalised and are therefore subject to change.

Day 1 – Friday 25 September, 9 Fitzroy Square, London

Day 2 – Tuesday 3 November, 9 Fitzroy Square, London

Day 3 – Tuesday 24 November, 9 Fitzroy Square, London

Day 4 & Day 5 – Tuesday 26 & Wednesday 27 January, Cambridge

Day 6 – Friday 5 March, 9 Fitzroy Square, London

Day 7 – Friday 30 April, 9 Fitzroy Square, London

Day 8 – Sunday 6 June, Manchester

Yearbook for Cohort 7 coming soon!

Day 1 – Tuesday 23 September 2025, 9 Fitzroy Square, London

  • Programme introduction and expectations – Course Directors
  • Top tips on leadership journeys – Course Directors
  • NHS infrastructure and how the NHS works – Course Directors
  • Understanding the role of managers and how they can help – Course Directors
  • Top tips on how to get the most out of the programme – previous ELP delegates
  • National priorities for cardiology – Professor Simon Ray
  • Sustainable healthcare for cardiology – Dr Frances Varian
  • Service Improvement Project workshop – Course Directors
 

Day 2 – Wednesday 22 October 2025, 9 Fitzroy Square, London

  • Leading successful and sustainable projects for quality improvement – Professor Stefan Scholtes
  • Project management in service improvement – Helena Baxter
 

Day 3 – Monday 17 November 2025, 9 Fitzroy Square, London

  • Compassionate leadership – Steve Hargreaves
  • Networking lunch with supporting pharma company reps
  • Compassionate leadership (continued) – Steve Hargreaves
 

Day 4 & Day 5 – Tuesday 27 & Wednesday 28 January 2026, Cambridge

  • Emotional intelligence: Understanding self to understand others – Jennifer Ray Beckman
  • DiSC personality tool – introduction – Jennifer Ray Beckman
  • Leadership and DiSC: It’s all about the El – Jennifer Ray Beckman
  • Q&A with local system leaders
  • Networking dinner
  • Overnight accommodation
  • NHS funding and the development of successful business cases – Ed Smith
 

Day 6 – Friday 20 March, 9 Fitzroy Square, London

  • Building team effectiveness – Professor Philip Stiles
  • Human Factors – Dr Jon Morton
  • Running effective meetings – Chris Wilkinson
 

Day 7 – Tuesday 14 April, 9 Fitzroy Square, London

  • Managing difficult conversations and developing resilience
 

Day 8 – Sunday 31 May, Manchester

  • Service improvement project presentations with Q&A
  • Course evaluation and closing comments
  • Awards
 

*The programme sessions, dates, and locations are still being finalised and are therefore subject to change.

This project has been supported by a financial grant from Bayer Plc. Bayer Plc has had no involvement whatsoever in the development or implementation of the project.

The yearbook for the fifth cohort of the Emerging Leaders Programme, containing information and their project abstracts, is available to view. The posters produced by delegates for presentation at the end of the cohort can also be viewed below.

ELP Cohort 6 Yearbook

This programme has been developed by the British Cardiovascular Society and funded through a sponsorship agreement by Bayer Public Limited Company. Bayer has had no editorial input or control over the content of any materials.

The yearbook for the fifth cohort of the Emerging Leaders Programme, containing information and their project abstracts, is available to view. The posters produced by delegates for presentation at the end of the cohort can also be viewed below.

View the ELP Cohort 5 Yearbook Here

This programme has been developed by the British Cardiovascular Society and funded through a sponsorship agreement by Bayer Public Limited Company. Bayer has had no editorial input or control over the content of any materials.

The yearbook for the fourth cohort of the Emerging Leaders Programme, containing information and their project abstracts, is available to view. The posters produced by delegates for presentation at the end of the cohort can also be viewed below.

View the Emerging Leaders Programme Cohort 4 Yearbook

This programme has been developed by the British Cardiovascular Society and funded through a sponsorship agreement by Bayer Public Limited Company. Bayer has had no editorial input or control over the content of any materials.

The yearbook for the third cohort of the Emerging Leaders Programme, containing information and their project abstracts, is available to view. The posters produced by delegates for presentation at the end of the cohort can also be viewed below.

View the Cohort 3 yearbook

This programme has been developed by the British Cardiovascular Society and funded through a sponsorship agreement by Bayer Public Limited Company. Bayer has had no editorial input or control over the content of any materials.

The yearbook for the second cohort of the Emerging Leaders Programme, containing information and their project abstracts, is available to view.  The posters produced by delegates for presentation at the end of the cohort can also be viewed below.

View the Cohort 2 yearbook 

This programme has been developed by the British Cardiovascular Society and funded through a sponsorship agreement by Bayer Public Limited Company. Bayer has had no editorial input or control over the content of any materials.

The yearbook for the first cohort of the Emerging Leaders Programme, containing information and their project abstracts, is available to view. The posters produced by delegates for presentation at the end of the cohort can also be viewed below.

View the Cohort 1 yearbook

This programme has been developed by the British Cardiovascular Society and funded through a sponsorship agreement by Bayer Public Limited Company. Bayer has had no editorial input or control over the content of any materials.

For enquiries regarding the Emerging Leaders Programme, please contact us on [email protected]