Effective teamwork is integral to the provision of quality healthcare. However, teamworking issues can arise in all workplace settings, with associated impact on service delivery and patient care, as well as individual health and wellbeing. Doctors are vital team workers and leaders; their behaviours are commonly pivotal to the culture of a team.

Simultaneously, organisations should recognise that effective and compassionate local governance is a critical part of the culture that will support effective teamworking. Healthy application of aspects of good professional governance such as induction, job planning, appraisal (360 feedback), mentoring, quality improvement, and learning from incidents all function to flag issues and drive positive professional behaviours.

Below are some current relevant resources as an introduction to this topic. It is intended to assist doctors looking for resources to understand their responsibilities and help them manage teamworking issues or organisations signposting them to assistance. Some resources are aimed at organisations looking to review and enhance their systems and processes in this area. A NHS England project to develop e-learning for organisations on management of behavioural and teamworking concerns is currently due to complete in 2024.

Resources

• GMC: Good Medical Practice – The benchmark for medical professionals in the UK.
• GMC: Leadership and management for all doctors – Specific GMC guidance on leadership whether in a formal management role or not.
• GMC: Outreach service – GMC outreach advisers (Regional Liaison Advisors and, in England, Employer Liaison Advisors) collaborate with doctors, responsible officers, healthcare providers, educators, and other regulators to improve understanding of GMC guidance.
• GMC: Promoting Excellence – Postgraduate deans (previously of HEE, now within NHS England workforce and training directorate) follow this guidance to support educators and promote faculty development.
• NHS England: Compassionate Leadership – Resources from experts such as Professor Michael West and Amy Edmondson and the Kings Fund on the value of compassionate leadership to the culture of an organisation.
• NHS England: A just culture guide – This guide encourages managers to treat staff involved in a patient safety incident in a consistent, constructive, and fair way.
• NHS England: A practical guide for responding to concerns about a doctor’s practice – Guidance from NHS England professional standards on how to respond to a concern consistently, compassionately, and transparently regardless of severity.
• NHS England: The expectations of line managers in relation to people management – A framework for NHS line managers to support staff and further resources regarding positive people management.
• NHS England: Civility and Respect – A toolkit for organisations to support staff and create a positive workplace culture.
• NHS Resolution: Practitioner Performance Advice Service – Impartial advice for organisations to effectively manage and resolve concerns raised about the practice of individual doctors. Support also available for doctors seeking advice about performance concerns.
• NHS Resolution: Training courses for organisations – Courses include content on resolving conduct concerns, MHPS and compassionate conversations.
• NHS Resolution: Being Fair/Being Fair 2 – Publications that discuss promoting a just and fair culture in the NHS, as well as the impact of negative behaviours and how these can be addressed.
• NHS Employers: Bullying in healthcare – Resources and guidance for organisations and individuals to help build a positive culture and a supportive environment.
• AoMRC: Invited reviews: Operating principles framework – A College can review a service in difficulty, including when conduct is relevant, under the remit of this framework.
• FMLM: Leadership and Management Standards for Medical Professionals – This link is to core values and behaviours for doctors. Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM) development programmes include content on self-awareness, role-modelling, leading.
• NHS Leadership Academy – Provides a range of programmes on leadership at every stage of a doctor’s career.
• Maternity Safety Support Programme (MSSP) – MSSP supports maternity units rated ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ by the CQC (safe or well-led domains). It will facilitate support of the consultants to address team issues.
• Civility Saves Lives – A professional movement of healthcare professionals aiming to raise awareness of the power of civility in medicine.

The resources provide complementary support and guidance; however, this is not an exhaustive list. Organisations should always refer to their own HR/people policies and people services teams when supporting doctors. NHS England does not endorse all external resource providers, nor does it accept liability for any loss or harm arising from engaging with any of the external resources listed in this document.

This information sheet is relevant to all designated bodies in England.

Associated information sheet: ROAN Information Sheet 43: Team issues involving doctors in designated bodies outside NHS England – roles and responsibilities