GMC: Leadership and management for all doctors: Summary

SJT Textbook: Leadership and Management for All Doctors

Leadership and Management GMC Guidance

This leadership and management GMC guidance explains how all doctors must lead for safety, fairness, and quality, regardless of job title.

🎥 Video Lesson (YouTube)

🎧 Podcast Lesson (Spotify / Apple / Amazon)

🎯 THE CORE PRINCIPLE

Leadership and management are not limited to consultants or formal managers. Every doctor has leadership responsibilities in how they influence patient safety, team culture, training, and use of resources. The GMC expects doctors to contribute actively to improving services, supporting colleagues, and maintaining standards of care.

Good leadership is collaborative, fair, transparent, and patient-centred. It includes raising concerns, supervising others safely, using resources wisely, addressing discrimination, and modelling professional behaviour. Doctors remain accountable to the GMC for both clinical and non-clinical duties.

In MSRA SJT questions, high-scoring options show calm, fair leadership, early escalation of concerns, support for colleagues, commitment to patient safety, and responsible use of resources.

Leadership and management GMC duties apply to all doctors, not only those in formal roles.

⚡ HIGH-YIELD ACTIONS (What Scores Points)

1. Promote patient safety and quality improvement in daily practice.
2. Raise concerns about unsafe practice promptly and appropriately.
3. Treat all colleagues with respect and fairness.
4. Support junior doctors, students, and the wider MDT.
5. Participate in audit, reflection, and service improvement.
6. Use NHS resources responsibly and fairly.
7. Provide adequate supervision and induction where responsible.
8. Act as a positive role model in professionalism and conduct.
9. Address bullying, harassment, or discrimination.
10. Declare and manage conflicts of interest transparently.

MSRA SJT frequently tests failures in leadership and management GMC standards.

These traps prioritise self-protection, avoidance, or unfairness over duty to patients and colleagues.

💬 MODEL PHRASES (Use These in SJT Logic)

* “Patient safety must come first.”
* “I will support the colleague while ensuring safe care.”
* “We must allocate resources fairly and transparently.
* “I will declare this conflict of interest.”

L – Lead by example
E – Escalate concerns
A – Act fairly
D – Develop others
S – Support the team
A – Allocate resources fairly
F – Foster respect
E – Escalate early

📋 QUICK FAQ

Do junior doctors have leadership responsibilities?
Yes. All doctors are leaders in their professional conduct and influence. Should I raise concerns even if it affects team relationships?
Yes. Patient safety overrides personal discomfort. Is resource management only for managers?
No. Every doctor must use resources responsibly. What if a colleague is struggling with performance?
Support them while ensuring patient safety and escalate appropriately. Do leadership duties extend to non-clinical roles?
Yes. Doctors remain accountable for both clinical and managerial duties.

📚 GMC ANCHOR POINTS

• Leadership for all doctors – Leadership and Management Guidance
• Raising concerns – Patient Safety Guidance
• Equality and respect – Good Medical Practice
• Supervision and training – GMC Training Standards
• Conflicts of interest – Financial and Commercial Guidance

💡 MINI PRACTICE SCENARIO

You notice repeated delays in reviewing unwell patients during handover. Best action: Raise the concern with senior colleagues and the ward leadership to improve patient safety. Why: Leadership requires proactive action to reduce risk and improve systems.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS

✓ Every doctor is a leader
✓ Patient safety is central
✓ Fairness and transparency matter
✓ Support and supervise others
✓ Use resources responsibly
✓ Raise concerns early
✓ Declare conflicts of interest

🔗 RELATED TOPICS

* → Raising and Acting on Concerns
* → Delegation and Referral
* → Teamwork and Communication
* → Duty of Candour
* → Conflicts of Interest

📖 FULL PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Example SJT — Best of 3 (8 options; choose three)

You observe persistent bullying of a junior doctor by a senior colleague.

Options:
A. Ignore it to avoid conflict
B. Check on the junior doctor’s wellbeing
C. Escalate through appropriate channels
D. Confront the senior publicly in front of patients
E. Encourage formal reporting
F. Join in to fit with the culture
G. Document the concern
H. Wait until your rotation ends

Example SJT — Rank 5 (best → worst)

You are responsible for allocating limited clinic slots.

Options:
A. Allocate based on clinical urgency and fairness
B. Consult the MDT on complex prioritisation
C. Allocate to colleagues’ preferred patients
D. Allocate to those who complain most
E. Randomly assign appointments