A Lead NCHD represents their NCHD colleagues at an executive level within their organisation. The role allows NCHDs to have their voice heard at the highest levels of their local healthcare facility and to gain valuable experience in healthcare management.
The Lead NCHD programme was piloted as recommendation of the MacCraith Report in 2013. Since inception it has grown in scale and Lead NCHDs are now present across most acute hospital sites and community healthcare organisations.
The Lead NCHDs are supported by NDTP trainer leads within their hospital groups and by the National Lead NCHD Fellow(s). They are also expected to engage regularly with their local Clinical Director and Medical Manpower Department, and to participate in key meetings where issues relating to NCHDs in their site are addressed.
Lead NCHDs also organise and chair a local NCHD Committee, with representatives from diverse sectors of their NCHD cohort. This enables them to keep abreast of issues that NCHDs are facing in their local site and permits two-way communication between hospital management and NCHDs.
Lead NCHDs are provided with a fund for furthering their education in healthcare management. They are expected to conduct a Quality Improvement initiative within their tenure as Lead NCHD, and can apply for seed funding required. Further training in Quality Improvement principles and networking between Lead NCHDs is provided through quarterly workshops that are organised by the National Lead NCHD Fellow(s).
Lead NCHDs are appointed locally though medical manpower. For further information please see the resources section below or contact your current National Lead NCHD Fellow Dr Lenin Patrick Ekpotu at nl.nchd@hse.ie.
