Led by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement the UK-wide project, 'Enhancing Engagement in Medical Leadership project' has now developed a number of resources which may be of interest to members. The project aims to promote medical leadership and help create organisational cultures where doctors seek to be more engaged in management and leadership of health services.

The project team has worked closely with the medical professional, regulatory and education bodies and health service organisation and has now completed a number of key projects including a Medical Leadership Competency Framework . A Medical Leadership Curriculum has also been developed and you can find further information here.

Other project products and research include:

• A Medical Engagement Scale which enables NHS trusts a greater insight to the level of engagement of doctors in their organisation and ways in which this engagement might be improved. This also explores the link between organisational performance and medical engagement, with a study due to be available in Autumn 2009.
• An international study of how doctors are prepared for leadership roles in other countries and how they are engaged in the management and leadership of the health service
• A Medical Chief Executive study is currently underway; to explore and better understand the factors that influence doctors to assume Chief Executive roles and identify how more doctors may be encouraged to apply for these positions.

Hard copies of most project products are also available for order here. We have attached a copy of our latest project update for your information.

If you would like to know more about the project, or any of the project products, please visit our website at www.institute.nhs.uk/medicalleadership or contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Royal College of Physicians Guidelines Database

The Royal College of Physicians has developed comprehensive resource for identifying widely accepted clinical guidelines and it is hoped that members of the specialist societies will find the following information useful.

It is one of the Royal College of Physicians' core functions to set and improve standards in medical practice. Guideline and audit projects are both essential in setting targets and measuring if they have been met.

Much audit and guideline activity is carried out by specialist societies; the Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit of the Royal College of Physicians has been working with the Clinical Effectiveness Forum since November 2000. The brief of the Clinical Effectiveness Forum is to share experience on evidence based multidisciplinary guideline production and co-ordinate clinical effectiveness activities to achieve greater effect. The Clinical Effectiveness Forum is attended by a guideline/audit lead from each of the medical specialities that come under the RCP umbrella.

The forum developed a central database of clinical guidelines, produced over the preceding five years, covering all the areas of clinical practice that come under the RCP umbrella. Clinical guidelines are "systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances". They should "make explicit recommendations with a definite intent to influence what clinicians do". Guidelines are intended to describe the diagnosis and management of a particular condition and should provide a clear indication of the best choices for the clinical management of a patient.

The database can now be accessed via the Royal College of Physicians website: www.rcplondon.ac.uk

Although patients, carers and relatives are welcome to use the database, it was designed for use by healthcare professionals familiar with guideline terminology.

The database has specific criteria for inclusion:

1. All UK guidelines produced in the previous five years and relevant to the specialities covered by the Royal College of Physicians.
2. Non-UK guidelines are included if they are of relevance to UK practice.
3. A few guidelines from earlier years are included, if the relevant specialist society has confirmed their continuing appropriateness.
4. Guidelines on performance or accreditation for procedures are included only if they have clear impact on clinical management of a specific condition.
   
5. It is evident that the guidelines meet the AGREE criteria.
   
6. Matters of training are excluded.

The Clinical Effectiveness Forum in conjunction with the Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit is continually searching for guidelines that meet the inclusion criteria and currently, the database is updated quarterly.

For further details, please contact:

Penny Irwin
Project Co-ordinator
Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit
Royal College of Physicians London
11, St. Andrews Place
Regent's Park
London NW1 4LE

Tel: 020 7935 1174 Ext: 349
Fax: 020 7487 3988
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it