Guiding a Trust through the pandemic: An Executive Team's experiences
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Guiding an NHS Trust through the Covid 19 Pandemic: The organisational learning resulting from an NHS Executive Team’s experiences of leading during unprecedented times.
IRAS ID
311887
Contact name
Gail E Dovey-Pearce
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 3 days
Research summary
Effects of the Covid19 Pandemic upon physical and emotional wellbeing are widely reported. NHS staff have experienced this alongside the populations they serve. British Medical Association surveys found up to 80% of doctors experienced depression, anxiety or stress that worsened in the first two waves. Research includes quantitative examinations of types/levels of impacts and some individual, personal accounts. More detailed examinations of lived experience is lacking. Further, frontline clinical staff accounts have been included but there is a lack of accounts from senior, managerial and executive levels. The Kings Fund suggest an improved understanding of staff emotional experiences can be used as a form of intelligence to help NHS teams work together better in these current times.
Aim: Add to emerging evidence and understand what NHS organisations can learn from this.
Objectives:
1. Explore experiences of NHS executive leaders to suggest how senior leadership practices were augmented by the Pandemic
2. Assess how these experiences align with relevant psychological and organisational theories.
4. Outline learning for NHS organisations, regarding understanding and building upon novel leadership practices with ongoing utility.Method:
Individual semi-structured interviews with Business Unit Directors, Deputy Directors and Executives within an NHS Trust: e.g.
• Overseeing organisational change in context of Covid 19 Pandemic
• Specify impacts of Pandemic upon roles and tasks
• Organisational ‘recovery’ moving through phases of Pandemic
• Ongoing challenges and opportunities for the NHS
• Personal trajectories as change leader
• Skills they would recommend for next generation of leaders
Interviews transcribed & Framework Analysis used to identify qualitative themes.
Deliverables
• 5-7 key determinants of effective leadership in context of Pandemic and examples of implementation.
• Overview how these aided integrated psychosocial care.
• Suggestions for developing skills to implement organisational change during ongoing, unprecedented times.
• Recommendations for NHS leadership teams for supporting their managerial and clinical leads to develop skills.REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A