Are there practical opportunities for developing leadership skills during GP training and beyond? A survey of GP trainees and trainers in South East Scotland

Background: There is currently a lack of formal training in leadership skills, particularly during GP training. This study aimed to explore the current training and practical opportunities which exist, specifically exploring the views of GP trainees and trainers. Methods: An electronic questionnaire was sent to 266 GP trainees and trainers in south-east Scotland. Questions focused on respondents’ experience of leadership-specific training and opportunities to engage with leadership roles. Results: There were a total of 76 respondents (28.6% response rate). Response rate was 19.0% in trainees and 34.6% in trainers. A majority of respondents (80.0%) were established GPs. Of those who had received training in leadership, most (72.1%) underwent this after qualifying as a GP. Respondents identified a range of leadership roles within and outside the practice covering clinical and non-clinical areas. Most were interested in future leadership roles (46.7% moderately interested; 28% very interested). More time, training opportunities and the presence of GP role models were motivating factors in terms of participants’ readiness to take on future leadership roles. Conclusions: Signposting trainees, trainers and general practitioners to leadership opportunities and training would be relatively easy but addressing a lack of motivating factors at a local level is essential. The effectiveness of such training and opportunities for experiential learning in leadership roles requires further research.