Specialised Services provide people suffering from a variety of complex and rare conditions with a range of medical and surgical treatments that are directly commissioned by NHS England. The National Clinical Policy Team was a new team set up within Specialised Commissioning in August 2018. Our new team was mandated with improving the efficiency of the policy development, whilst in parallel developing new policies and contributing to the development of our team and its establishment within the wider department.

This was a novel opportunity for a junior doctor undertaking an out-of-programme experience to develop leadership and management skills early on in their career. Alongside managing a range of policies across various programmes of care, the role required coordination of policy working groups, chairing teleconferences, attending meetings and contributing to the commissioning of evidence reviews and the writing of policy and commissioning documents.

Through becoming increasingly conscious of behaviour and its impact on others to managing conflict and politics between various stakeholders to drive the production of higher quality and more robust work, this opportunity provided a springboard for personal development away from direct clinical contract. Two-way communication, a critical aspect of the doctor-patient relationship, is also required at a system-based level to achieve better patient care. Such experiences should be welcomed amongst the junior doctor community and help contribute to the development of future medical leaders.