Making the case for more and better trained clinician‐leaders

As we gradually emerge from the COVID‐19 pandemic, morale among healthcare staff is sagging as the extent of the clinical backlog becomes clear. This is resulting in a workforce crisis as many clinicians elect to reduce their sessions, retire early or leave to work elsewhere. To rectify this we need to improve pay and conditions and to radically change working practices. One approach to the problem is to deploy more clinician‐leaders. Their collaborative leadership skills could bolster morale and enhance the quality and safety of care as well as accelerate the adoption of much needed innovative healthcare technology.