Emerging Leaders Programme
Unlock your leadership potential and drive positive change in cardiology and the NHS with the BCS Emerging Leaders Programme
Introduction
Designed to empower healthcare professionals with the skills required to lead service transformation and extend their influence in the field of cardiology, this programme offers a unique opportunity for growth and development.
The British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Leadership Academy was established in 2019 to develop leadership skills for healthcare professionals through expert Faculty. As part of the Academy, the BCS Emerging Leaders Programme aims to equip delegates with leadership and management skills they will use for the rest of their lives in the NHS and beyond in driving improvements in services for patients. The Programme incorporates sessions with key NHS and professional leaders whom delegates would rarely get the chance to meet in person otherwise. This greatly enriches the course content as they share the secrets of their success and encourage the next generation of leaders.
The Programme is open to senior cardiology trainees, recently appointed consultants, senior nurses, physiologists, and radiographers working in cardiology multi-disciplinary teams. It is underwritten by the BCS and this year for the first time we will be asking delegates to contribute £750 towards the cost. Changes to the Programme this year include 2 days in Cambridge with an overnight stay and the last session of the programme in Manchester with an overnight stay ahead of the BCS conference. The course fees will include dinner and accommodation costs for both overnight stays in Cambridge and Manchester. Delegates will receive free registration to the BCS conference in June 2025 and will be responsible for their transport costs for all programme days in London, Cambridge and Manchester.
There are 18 delegate places available on a competitive basis. Prospective applicants must be BCS members and will be trainees within one year of CCT, consultant cardiologists within 5 years of first appointment in June 2024, physiologists in the HSST/RCP programme to consultant clinical scientists, or nurses and radiographers at Band 8A and above.
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.
2024/2025 Cohort Details
The closing date for applications has now passed
The 2024/25 BCS Emerging Leaders Programme cohort will commence in the autumn. The programme comprises 8.5 days, 5 of which will be delivered face-to-face at the BCS offices, 1 will be a virtual day, and 2 will be held consecutively with an overnight stay in Cambridge. A final session, to include ELP Alumni, will be scheduled for the afternoon before the BCS Annual Conference, which will take place from 2-4 June 2025 in Manchester.
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.
Commitment
Applicants must be current Ordinary, Associate or Affiliate members of BCS.
Day 1 – 17 October
- Icebreakers and introductions
- Programme introduction and expectations
- NHS infrastructure and how the NHS works
- Understanding the role of managers and how they can help
- Meet previous ELP delegates – top tips on how to get the most out of the programme
- National priorities for Cardiology
- Coaching and mentoring workshop
Day 2 – 13 November
- Leading successful and sustainable projects for quality improvement
- Project management in service improvement
- Running effective meetings
Day 3 – 28 January
- Emotional intelligence: Understanding self to understand others
- DiSC personality tool – introduction
- Leadership and DiSC: It’s all about the EI
- Q&A panel with local system leaders
- Travel to overnight accommodation
Day 4 – 29 January
- NHS funding and the development of successful business cases
Day 5 – 12 February
- Compassionate leadership
- Networking lunch with supporting pharma company reps
- Compassionate leadership (continued)
Day 6 – 17 March
- Building team effectiveness
- Human Factors
- Supporting consistent, constructive and fair evaluation of the actions of staff involved in patient safety incidents
Day 7 – 1 April
- Managing difficult conversations and developing resilience
Day 8 – 22 May
- National leadership of the NHS
- Service improvement project presentations with Q&A
- End of programme evaluation
- Closing comments and awards
Day 9 – 1 June
- Final afternoon session in Manchester