Western Health.

Colin Baker

Leadership is a fundamental skill required in all areas and sections within healthcare organisations. The leadership of the team seems simple and although it is a combination of multiple disciplines / skills / roles; it actually is!

One philosophy of team leadership in my view is generating the best outcome for patients / clients through each component of the team working together, hand in hand with each other.

The ‘team’ is the object – each member and role is equally important in the process / function of the delivery of best care. It is not about treating one discipline more or less important within the group. A holistic philosophy that facilitates the organisation’s strategies to improve the patient / client journey, i.e. improved access, appropriate service and good outcomes. This leads to more care benefits, added value, user feedback and more strategic thinking and planning.

“A holistic philosophy that facilitates the organisation’s strategies to improve the patient / client journey, i.e. improved access, appropriate service and good outcomes.”

Each discipline of the team has different needs / skills required to complete the workflows. These have to be considered independently and in discussion with those groups involved. This is carried out through routine stakeholder and group reviews that include process detail examination. However, as part of this discussion, the group benefits from the integrated understanding which is required as part of functioning together. The integration will be addressed, discussed, strategized, solution driven, agreed and tested for implementation.

Through with this process above, the outcomes are accepted more easily with modified services and workflows. It is more complicated and time consuming, as necessary, with reviews for full change management, modification or totally new methods / models of care.