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A Practical Guide to Managing & Supporting Doctors in Difficulty

This Conference is now Closed

Follow the conference on X #DrsinDifficulty

This conference aimed at senior clinicians, clinical directors, responsible officers, medical directors and clinical leads, focuses on managing and supporting doctors in difficulty. Managing colleagues in difficulty and doctors with difficult behaviour is generally seen to be the most challenging element of a Clinical or Medical Directors role. This conference aims to support you to identify concerns early, diagnose the issues, and ensure effective intervention and support doctors who are experiencing difficulty or demonstrating difficult behaviours.

“We have reported that the pressures doctors are feeling now are having a deep impact on their own wellbeing, and on the workforce as a whole”

Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, General Medical Council April 2024

“There was a startling jump in the number of doctors who took what we consider hard steps toward leaving..From 2021 to 2022, the proportion of doctors who said they were likely to make a career change in the next year grew significantly—from 58% of doctors to more than three-quarters… Clearly these effects on our workforce have an impact on patient care. The data show us that doctors are increasingly finding they are unable to provide patients with the care they need.”

Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, General Medical Council April 2024

Through national updates, case studies from experienced Medical and Clinical Directors, and in depth interactive sessions this conference will enable senior clinicians to manage concerns and work with doctors in difficulty, support doctors with health or mental health issues, embedding effective teamworking and manage difficult behaviour and conduct issues. Extended interactive sessions will focus on managing and supporting doctors in difficulty, doctors experiencing physical or mental health concerns, and managing and working with difficult colleagues. The conference will also update delegates on employment law, and look at resolution of concerns around professional practice including remedial and developmental action.

The conference includes an extended focus on supporting neurodiversity and ADHD in Doctors. It is estimated that around 15% of people in the UK are neurodivergent and so it is vital that neurodivergent doctors are supported in an inclusive workplace.

“My neurodevelopmental disorder is lifelong. It’s not going to disappear, but medical careers might if the system, and the support it offers us, resists change.”

Catriona McVey, Medical Student speaking to the BMJ

This conference will enable you to:

  • Network with colleagues who are working support doctors in difficulty

  • Reflect on a lived experience perspective

  • Developing your skills in compassionate leadership

  • Learn from outstanding practice in working with doctors to tackle unprofessional, difficult or disruptive behaviours which can impact on patient safety and outcomes

  • Understand the impact of current workforce pressures and ensure enhanced support

  • Develop practical solutions to bring joy back into day to day practice

  • An extended session on developing your skills to better support Neurodiverse Doctors

  • Fatigue and Burnout: Looking after yourself and your colleagues

  • Explore the practicalities of managing doctors in difficulty from a Medical Directors perspective

  • Improve the way concerns are identified and responded to

  • Gain an understanding of the support available to support poorly performing clinicians

  • Support Doctors to improve teamworking and their place within the team

  • Understand how you can improve support for doctors experiencing mental health, physical health or clinical performance concerns

  • Supporting international medical graduates and doctors who qualified outside the UK

  • Identify key strategies for enabling resolution and remedial/developmental action

  • Understand the HR and Legal context

  • Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes

Exhibition & Sponsorship Packages

This conference offers a valuable opportunity for industry suppliers to personally meet with their target audience where they will have time to talk and demonstrate the benefits of their products. High quality specialist audiences make having a presence at our events a highly targeted and cost effective marketing channel.

Why Exhibit?

Having a presence at this event will give you the opportunity to:

  • Demonstrate your product, system or service
  • Network and engage with your key audience  
  • Generate new business leads
  • Gain exposure for your brand and raise the profile of your organisation
  • Understand the current needs of your audience and challenges they’re facing
  • Update your knowledge of national policy and local developments  

Enquire

Contact Sarah Jane for exhibition and sponsorship prices, or to discuss a tailored package to suit your needs and budget.

Also of Interest

Supporting Organisations

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