So much has been written and spoken about partnership that the
concept can easily be de-valued. So we aim to be very clear at the
outset of our relationships with clinicians, Trusts and PCTs, that
we really do expect a strong and lively engagement from all our
partners. We are also clear that every partner must see a real and
tangible gain from the relationship – what the management theorists
like to call ‘goal alignment’.
All partners need to be clear about what the success of the
enterprise looks like and need to have appropriate incentives to
work towards those goals. These incentives are sometimes financial,
but will also include many other benefits, such as the opportunity to
use the latest equipment and the improvement of access times for
patients.
Partnership also means active involvement. We do not expect simply
to sign a contract and then to deliver it. We work closely,
especially with the clinicians involved in a service, to ensure
mutual success. This includes clinicians taking active roles in
leadership and management in our centres, informing strategic and
operational decisions and taking a lead in growing and developing
the business.
Trusts too, devote resources to making the partnership work and
achieve real benefits. We reach this level of engagement by
structuring our partnerships in such a way that clinicians and Trusts are
properly represented on leadership teams.
