Alastair McLellan presents our list of the most influential clinicians

Clinical leadership has always been important in the NHS. But now, more than ever, the role of clinical leaders in driving high quality, safe care for patients is on the agenda.

‘Now, more than ever, the role of clinical leaders in driving high quality, safe care for patients is on the agenda’

So who are our clinical leaders? Are they the doctors, nurses and other health professionals leading the high level reviews? Or are they the ones implementing them? Are they the whistleblowers highlighting where things have gone wrong? Or are they the researchers looking at the effectiveness of what the NHS does now or developing the new ways we might work in future?

The HSJ Clinical Leaders list is our first attempt at identifying the most influential clinicians in healthcare in England. We have not tried to define influence but accepted it as something each of us recognises when we see it in action.

The result is not a list of people who just excel in their own professional specialism but those whose impact extends beyond their immediate sphere. Many of them are in operational roles in the NHS. A handful are the agitators who hold the NHS and the people who lead it to account. Some work in the media.

In shaping this list, HSJ looked for clinicians who were influential on policy, innovation and transformation. We asked a panel of eminent judges to bring their expertise and suggestions to the table. The key measures we wanted them to consider were influence and how well these leaders used their clinical experience and training in the roles they performed.

Some of the 100 clinicians we have identified will be well known; others much less so as we have highlighted some of the rising stars. We have ranked only the top 10 and listed the others in alphabetical order.

Lists such as this will always be controversial and we don’t shy away from that. Join the debate and make your views known – #HSJClinicalLeaders.

Alastair McLellan is editor of HSJ

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