Leadership is critical to the challenge of improving the health of our populations and the ways in which health care is delivered. Over the past decade high profile reports around poor quality and safety of care have regularly hit the media. Building greater leadership capacity and capability within health systems, facilities and services is now a matter of urgency. 

HOPE, the European Hospital and Healthcare Federation, has been looking at the movement across many European member states to enhance clinical leadership and engagement. Delivery of health care is a team activity; leadership similarly has to be shared and distributed across a health system and within organisations. In this line, HOPE and the NHS Institute just published “Nurses and midwives in leadership and management” looking a across a number of European member states.

Nurses and midwives account for more than 30% of the healthcare workforce and it is important therefore to ensure their contribution to leadership at all levels is maximised. It is very evident that there are many different models of education and roles. The position and status of nurses and midwives differs according to the history and cultures of each European country. As the report states quite clearly there is no ‘one size fits all’ but what is clear is that all countries recognise the need for effective leadership to drive improvements in access, quality, outcomes and productivity.

The report is available on:

http://www.hope.be/05eventsandpublications/publications_chronologicallist....

Contact: 

Pascal Garel

 sg@hope.be