Senior practice managers can enrol on a new Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 7 Masters Diploma in Leadership and Management, the Practice Managers Association (PMA) has announced.
The course – targeted at those ‘well-established in the practice management role’ – will launch this autumn, and practice managers will be able to enrol from mid-August.
Practice managers will learn how to make the best use of resources, understand the need to innovate and optimise performance, the PMA said.
The association added: ‘The diploma comes at a time of great change within primary care.
‘With the advent of super practices and GP federations, the management task becomes ever more complex and the diploma will address the needs of managers faced with the new challenges of managing larger operations across multiple sites.
‘Building a corps of highly skilled managers will be a key element in succession planning as well as a powerful investment in the individual’s career, boosting self-confidence and driving motivation and performance.’
As part of the general practice forward view (GPFV), NHS England allocated £6m to help practice managers further develop their roles, by helping them to network at a local and national level and share best practice.
The total cost of the diploma – set by the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) – is £18,000, of which ESFA funds 90%, a spokesman for the PMA said.
The spokesperson added: ‘The remaining £1,800 has to date been covered by a variety of NHS and health bodies from CCGs, STPs, LMCs, GP Federations and in some cases by individuals themselves.’
For more information about the course, visit the PMA website.
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