Introduction

• The 2021 Foundation Curriculum has an equal focus across physical, mental, and social health with an emphasis on person-centred care and managing complex multimorbidity.

• The enhance programme aligns with Foundation priorities to promote development of generalist skills alongside contextual leadership, supporting working effectively across the health and care landscape.

• Expansion of the enhance programme is a NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) priority action and is now offered to all Foundation doctors since August 2023.

Aims and objectives of the research project or activity

• enhance aims to provide Foundation doctors with a grounding in generalist skills in the context of early career leadership. This meets the UKFPO curriculum requirements whilst also empowering these doctors to consider their role as a leader from the beginning of their careers.

• The contextual leadership resources and offer provide a practical guide for foundation trainees to identify areas for development when considering their own leadership journey.

Method or approach

• The enhance programme was initially piloted in seven regional trailblazer sites across England with specific focus on Foundation in the North-West and East of England.

• These foundation pilots have included immersive community placements, multi-professional teaching as well as innovative technology such as Virtual Reality.

• The success led to a national roll out for all Foundation Doctors since August 2023.

• Our panel of national enhance leadership and regional delivery leads showcase the different opportunities to support embedding this programme and sharing best practice.

• The development of this contextual leadership resource has highlighted the value of a leadership offer for all early career health and care professionals. enhance’s multiprofessional leadership resource guide: first principles will launch in 2024 to support all enhance learners’ leadership journeys.

Findings

• There are two enhance offers for Foundation doctors from August 2023:

  • enhance enable: Available to all Foundation doctors via self-directed engagement with learning resources, module workbooks and self-assessment. Opportunities to attend targeted local and regional teaching. Specific contextual leadership resources are available.

  • enhance explore: Priority programmes available via Oriel applications with innovative community placements and protected regional teaching time.

• Learners will receive a contextual leadership certificate at completion.

Key messages

• The enhance foundation offer is a contextual leadership programme, delivering education in the wider context – the patient, the team and the changing community.

• Our educational panel can enthuse and help national delivery.