The Welsh Clinical Leadership Fellowship (WCLF) has been running in Wales since 2013. The fellowship gives the opportunity for optometrists, medics and pharmacists to take a year out of training/employment with a focus on leadership and quality improvement activities. Since 2020 there have been 2 optometrists each year.
During the training year, fellows have a wide and varied programme of leadership training including a taught element in medical leadership and the opportunity to shadow leaders from across health, education and training. The fellows’ work at the top tier of organisations conducting a range of quality improvement projects. Furthermore, they have opportunities to network on a national and international stage with subsidised attendance at a number of quality improvement and leadership conferences.
The WCLF has, by a number of measures, been very successful and transformative. Fellows have gone on to take leadership roles in a number of NHS organisations and the private sector in organisation such as health technology start-up companies and Welsh Government. NHS organisations in Wales have been highly engaged with the WCLF process and have been fully committed by offering quality improvement projects within their organisations.
Listen to Nik Sheen, Head of Optometry and Transformation at HEIW and previous Fellows on the Welsh Clinical Leadership Training Fellowship, Tim Morgan and Sarah Schumm, about their fellowship year, using the compassionate leadership principles as a manager in optometry and useful resources for opticians.
Previous Fellows
Sarah Schumm Sarah Schumm led a project on workforce planning, which was co-sponsored by Optometry Wales. The Fellowship was a spring board for Sarah to become Chair of Optometry Wales in 2021 and education and training lead in HEIW in 2022.
Tim Morgan Tim Morgan led on an eye care reform project working closely with Welsh Government who co-sponsored the project.Tim said at the time, "I'm absolutely thrilled to be entrusted with this opportunity to explore aspects of Primary Eye Care design. It's so heartening for the profession and for our patients that HEIW and Welsh Government see the value in this role and have high expectations for quality improvement."
Tim has since taken on an additional role working with HBs and Welsh Government.
Fran Ladon Fran has delivered eye care in community practice and has also provided ophthalmic services within a laser eye surgery clinic. Francesca has taken a keen interest in post graduate study and has achieved the Professional Certificate in Glaucoma in 2019 and the Professional Certificate in Medical Retina in 2020. Francesca looks forward to further post graduate study in order to obtain the skills needed to support Welsh Optometry and provide excellent patient care.
This year, Fran is excited to be working at Health Education and Improvement Wales as an Optometry fellow and is thrilled to be given the challenge. Francesca will be focusing on modelling the future needs for eye care in Wales and developing a service plan to meet the need.
Helen Haslett Helen Haslett graduated from Cardiff University in 2002, completing her pre-reg in a central Cardiff location. Upon qualifying she moved to England to work as a community Optometrist.
She has been involved with local optical committees in England since she was 26, including being chair in Dorset for four and a half years. This commitment to local commissioning involvement led her to work as an optical lead for LOCSU. This gained her experience in supporting other committees on a regional footprint and national issues for the profession.
She is feeling motivated by the opportunity to make an impact on primary care in Wales through the fellowship project she will be involved with and looking forward to learning from other health professionals who will be her colleagues. She feels that the pandemic, although causing significant ongoing challenges for the NHS, has forced organisations to look at innovative ways of working online which could have positive long-lasting impact and opportunity.
