Clinical Director of Pathology: Tackling the Role PDF

Foreword

Change, change and more change: the clinical director has a pivotal role which includes leading and developing strategic change for the directorate, but taking on the title does not come with a 'user manual'. Clinicians in disciplines such as pathology need to know about financial management, quality assurance, purchasing equipment, and 'health & safety7 but we do not always get to grips with these until taking on a management role. Here is a 'shortcut' guide for clinical directors - the chapters on these important topics should be compulsory reading for anyone tackling the role.

The clinical director, essentially, learns 'on the job7. At times the role can seem a lonely one - 'on the one hand explaining and justifying management to clinical colleagues and on the other impressing on managerial colleagues the reality of clinical practice'. More than anything, the clinical director learns and benefits from networking and comparing notes with colleagues in similar positions. Many of the challenges and problems in pathology are not unique. What better than to learn from colleagues, either on a similar learning curve or those more experienced, who understand the problems and have 'been there, done that, got the T-shirt'.

At BAMM Pathology Network Group meetings the same issues were common to many, whether in a large teaching hospital or a small DGH. Some clinical directors had already dealt with complex change projects, such as changes to the 'on call' service or laboratory mergers. We realised there was much to learn from their experiences. Sharing these and the different solutions arrived at, gave fresh insight and perspectives to important issues facing clinical directors of pathology and revitalised the approach to them. So this book, in a way, represents the metaphorical 'pooling of T-shirts'. It pulls together the threads of the topics discussed at BAMM Pathology Network Group meetings and condenses them into an excellent series of practical and valuable chapters, dealing with specific, relevant topics. These range from the 'Corporate role of pathology' and 'Clinical governance', through to 'Benchmarking laboratory performance' and 'Changing working patterns', making an apposite and readable guide for anyone with an interest in managing pathology services.

This book is also testimony to the enthusiasm and commitment of its editor, Michael Galloway, the first chairman of the BAMM Pathology Network Group and to all those who have contributed chapters. The group members too played a large part in shaping content of the meetings which formed a nucleus for this book.

Change continues and there is no 'arrival point'. The clinical director travels on a voyage of discovery and adaptation: now we see the introduction of clinical governance as a framework embracing the quality and efficiency of a service, tomorrow, no doubt, there will be other changes, other challenges. Yet the same skills, awareness and background knowledge will be needed to tackle the role. A wealth of essential and practical information for clinical directors in pathology can be found here - topical and forward looking. It is reassuring to have such a useful guidebook for the journey!

Author: Mike Galloway