National Lead NCHD/NDTP Fellow

My name is Jennifer Finnegan and I am delighted to introduce myself as the National Lead NCHD/NDTP Fellow for 2022-2023. I completed all of my postgraduate medical education in Ireland and achieved CSCST in paediatrics in 2022. I have a Master’s in Healthcare Management from RCSI, and a Certificate in Essential Leadership for new Consultants. I acted as a trainee representative to the department of paediatrics in RCPI in 2020/2021, and as lead NCHD in CHI at Crumlin 2021/2022. I’m excited to use this experience as I take on the National Lead NCHD role this year.
I’m keen to promote NCHD engagement and hope to give you an insight into some of the work being done by NDTP. I plan to promote the work happening in NDTP for and on behalf of NCHDs both in training and not in formal training roles. I have created a National Lead NCHD twitter account and will highlight NDTPs work there, as well as share opportunities and application deadlines. Additionally, I’ll publish a quarterly newsletter and will welcome content from the site leads.
Our first Lead NCHD workshop for 2022/2023 will be held on 23rd September, in person in Dublin. It will be an opportunity for the incoming leads to get together with the outgoing leads, network, and see last year’s winning QI projects presented. Monthly workshops will be tailored to the needs of NCHDs.
As National Lead I am responsible for overseeing, developing, expanding, and embedding the Lead NCHD Programme throughout the country. Each lead NCHD works with their committee to act as a vital link between NCHDs and hospital management. We encourage and facilitate quality improvement initiatives that are NCHD designed and led; tackling areas such as NCHD education, wellbeing and risk management. All of this is a prudent means of contributing to the improvement of NCHD welfare and working conditions and therefore improving the recruitment and retention of doctors in our healthcare system.
My role also involves representing NCHDs nationally and I provide a link to senior management in the HSE, and regularly engage with other stakeholders on your behalf. I provide support to, and promote NDTP resources and opportunities for all NCHDs.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me at nl.nchd@hse.ie.
Follow me on my new twitter page @NLNCHD, and NDTP @NDTP_HSE.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr Jennifer Finnegan
National Lead NCHD/NDTP Fellow 2022/2023