Developing Leadership Skills Across NHS Wales Perioperative Services
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is funding leadership and organisational development training for the theatre workforce across NHS Wales.
The training sessions are designed to deliver a bespoke development opportunity for the theatre workforce, to build resilience and confident leadership practices for the perioperative workforce across Wales. to ensure sustainable, safe and high-quality care for patients.
The initiative is part of the national Theatre Transformation Project, which focuses on optimising the multi-professional perioperative workforce to ensure theatres operate efficiently and productively. In addition, the project seeks to recommend evidence-based workforce options, as well as highlight the long-term education and training needs and availability of current options to support the development of theatre workforce. This supports the Welsh Government’s Planned Care Recovery Plan and the national effort to reduce waiting lists and improve patient flow for planned care services.
Delivered by healthcare training specialists, M&K Update Ltd, the leadership and workforce development sessions have been specifically tailored for individuals working across a range of perioperative roles, including nurses, operating department practitioners, theatre support workforce and theatre managers.
To date, 18 theatre staff in band 2-4 roles have completed the training, with a further 36 individuals currently attending; the final session is scheduled for the new year.
Dela Davis, Theatres Transformation Lead at HEIW, said: “Investing in leadership training from band 2 upwards is vital for building capable, confident and compassionate perioperative teams. By equipping staff at all levels with the skills to lead effectively, we can enhance staff engagement, strengthen team communication, and support better decision making with the aim of delivering safer, more efficient care for patients across Wales.”
All participants that have already completed the training said they would recommend the session to their colleagues.
Aswathy Reghunath, Senior Theatre Practitioner from BCUHB, commented: “Thank you so much for organising this leadership programme. I personally found it as very insightful and covered many aspects needed for a leadership journey”.
The leadership and workforce development training is one of many initiatives being driven by HEIW as part of the wider Theatres Transformation Project.
Regional Collaboration
In addition, HEIW recently hosted a series of regional workshops with NHS Wales health boards and trusts to gather insights and co-create recommendations for future theatre workforce models.
These workshops provided a valuable forum for collaboration, enabling stakeholders to share best practice, identify challenges such as training capacity and workforce variation, and explore opportunities for standardising roles and education pathways.
By engaging teams at a regional level, HEIW is ensuring that solutions are practical, inclusive, and aligned with local needs while supporting national consistency.
Anna Gray, Strategic Workforce Planning Manager at HEIW, said: “Engagement during the regional workshops was really positive. It was critical to collaborate with senior health board/trust representatives from each organisation, to ensure the emerging project recommendations meet the perioperative workforce needs for now, and for the future”.
The outcomes of the recent engagement will inform the development of a national perioperative workforce guide, and will shape further education and training initiatives, helping to strengthen leadership, develop workforce planning capability, and improve theatre efficiency – to enable delivery of safe, high-quality care for patients across Wales.
To learn more about this work please contact HEIW's Theatres Transformation Team.