NCHD Lead, Internal Competition Only

The Lead NCHD initiative is one of a range of initiatives taken at national level to improve NCHD recruitment and retention in the Irish public health system. It has been in place since 2014 and evolved into an important leadership role across the health sector, with over 700 Lead NCHDs appointed over this time frame.

• This initiative is implemented and funded by National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP), Health Service Executive (HSE). The initiative has been welcomed by the Department of Health, the Irish Medical Council, the Forum of Irish Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies, the Clinical Directors, the Forum Trainee Subcommittee and the Irish Medical Organisation.
• It functions to ensure structured communication arrangements between NCHDs and senior management across the health service are established, and to provide leadership training to NCHDs. Please see the timeline of the development of the Lead NCHD structure below.

The role of the Lead NCHD is to

• Provide a formal link at management level between the NCHD cohort, NCHD Committee and the clinical directorate/hospital/mental health service management structure. This enables a structured, continuous two-way flow of engagement and communication between management and NCHDs. Through this NCHDs are provided with an opportunity to participate in discussions and decision-making regarding matters that affect NCHDs, the day-to-day running of hospitals/mental health services, and solutions/improvements to enhance patient care.
• Support integration of all NCHDs into their clinical site and improve the experience of NCHDs (induction, education, support and direction)
• Develop quality improvement initiatives relevant to the experience of NCHDs on clinical sites, where possible aligned to local or national strategic plans.
• Promote and support their NCHD peers in implementing positive change initiatives, and representing themselves at a management level.
• Attend Lead NCHD workshops.

The Lead NCHD role encompasses the following key elements:

• When interacting with hospital management act on behalf of all NCHDs within the clinical directorate structure.
• Attend regular meetings with their nominated mentor to discuss issues pertinent to NCHDs including NCHD welfare, training provision and access, European Working Time Directive (EWTD) obligations, any executive decisions affecting NCHDs and individual/group grievances.
• Regularly attend the hospital senior management team meetings and participate in discussions and decision making, where invited.
• Where invited, Lead NCHDs should attend (or nominate other NCHD Committee Members) to attend relevant meetings and hospital committees such as:
• Ø Medical Board/Medical Executive.
• Ø Clinical Directors.
• Ø Physicians Sub-Group.
• Ø Surgical Sub-Group.
• Ø Organisation of Working Time Act verification group meetings.
• Ø Bed Management.
• Ø Infection Prevention and Control.
• Ø Drugs and Therapeutics.
• Ø Audit Committee and/or Risk and Quality and Patient Safety.
• Where appropriate, attend hospital inspections such as healthcare accreditation, college, Medical Council inspections.
• Chair the NCHD Committee.
• Establish an avenue of communication with NCHDs working across clinical sites, such as mental health services, primary care and public health.
• Work in conjunction with NCHDs and the NCHD Committee at all times.
• Meet NCHDs within their hospital or directorate in a regular and structured fashion to inform and be informed of all issues pertinent to NCHDs.
• Liaise with Medical Manpower (MMP) to provide insight of NCHD work-patterns and clinical demand so that MMP may produce EWTD-compliant rotas. (NB: The responsibility for creating, administering, and maintaining the agreed rota lies with Medical Manpower Department, this is not the role of the Lead NCHD).
• Liaise with the Senior & Executive Management as required.
• Liaise with relevant medical departments and with individual consultants as required.
• Liaise with health and social care professional representatives and nursing management representatives, on any matters of joint interest, including transfer of elements of NCHD workload, and support for NCHDs on-call.
• Liaise and work closely with Education and Training Leads.
• Liaise with the Regional and/Group Lead NCHD as needed.

Eligibility to Compete

Be employed as an SHO, Registrar, Specialist Registrar or Senior Registrar, with an NCHD contact and an appropriate clinical commitment in the relevant clinical site for the training year. Eligibility criteria may vary by site. Please contact your local medical workforce department for further details.

Educational Fund

In acknowledgement of the work associated with the Lead NCHD role each Lead NCHD will have an additional top-up to their existing Training Support Scheme (TSS) fund.

It is suggested, and encouraged, that this fund be used towards additional training in leadership or management skills, but the fund can be used under usual TSS processes and eligibility.

Funding of €2,500 will be provided for Leads in place for 12 months.