The UK Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties (AOMRC) Chair, Professor Carrie MacEwen, commented in the Times and the BMJ about clinical leadership in the NHS. The College has responded to AOMRC's comments.

The College notes that the need for doctors to take part in activities outside of the primary workplace are often forgotten or prohibited. Such activities can include senior training and examination roles which are vital in maintaining clinical standards.

Furthermore, the College believes that doctors as a whole do not ‘sit on their hands’, and it is critical that the NHS should recognise, and not inhibit the extra value that doctors can provide when given the opportunity to extend their skills beyond the clinical interface.

Professor Derek Bell OBE, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said:

We agree that the medical profession has more to offer, but this requires all professional groups and government working to maintain and enhance patient care. For this to happen, the medical voice must be heard, acknowledged, and actioned. Job planning should be productive, not punitive exercises. Rotas must be humane and legal, and doctors should have access to simple amenities including nutritional food and adequate rest facilities.

Dr Addy McLeod, Chair of the College's Trainees and Members' Committee said:

Clinical leadership needs to be learned and doctors must be supported to learn leadership skills throughout the entirety of their careers. We need job plans and training schemes that reflect the urgent need for skilled clinical leadership for all healthcare practitioners. Under-investment and increased service demand in the past decade have put greater pressures on our doctors and the NHS. At the same time, increasing health inequalities have affected the most vulnerable members of our society. Healthcare professionals can be part of the solution but our voice needs to be heard.