In March 2017, 19 clinical directorate staff from the Saolta University Health Care Group successfully completed the RCSI-HSE Saolta Clinical Directorate Team Leadership Development Programme in Galway.

The first of three HSE Clinical Directorate Team Leadership programmes being run in 2017, the course was specifically designed to meet the leadership and team development needs of senior clinical leaders in the Saolta area.

Participants were provided with an opportunity to explore their personal leadership styles and further develop their team leadership skills in a range of areas that included critical thinking, negotiation, conflict management and coaching. Participant learning was underpinned by a group leadership development project that was implemented and presented during Forum Day.

The remaining clinical directorate programmes will be run for the South/South West Hospitals Group (currently underway) and the University of Limerick's Hospitals Group (commencing in May 2017).

Dr Julie McCarthy and Ms Angela Hughes are overall executive sponsors for the Clinical Directorate Team Leadership programmes, together with Dr Pat Nash (Chair of the Clinical Directorate Group), Mr Maurice Power (CEO, Saolta Group), Mr Richie Dooley (General Manager, SSW Group), Ms Colette Cowan (CEO, UL Hospitals Group) and Dr Philip Crowley (National Director, HSE Quality Improvement Division).