Academy launched to fill NHS training need
pharmafile | March 7, 2007 | News story | |Â Â NHSÂ
Training and development company Excel Communications has launched a new initiative to allow pharma companies to sponsor courses for doctors.
The launch coincides with research showing that an overwhelming majority of doctors believe they don't get enough management training and that they would attend courses paid for by the industry.
The Excel Academy will offer bespoke training and development packages ranging from presentation skills for opinion leaders to interpersonal relationship skills for nurses.
Rob Hayes, managing director of Excel Communications, said: "The launch of The Excel Academy recognises the important and increasing need for management skills for doctors in the ever-changing and challenging environment of the NHS.
"The Excel Academy is a new initiative designed to help fulfil an unmet training need for doctors and provide them with the essential management skills increasingly required to carry out their everyday roles."
Academy sales and marketing director Andrew Waiton added: "This type of service has always been funded by pharmaceutical companies."
Waiton was recently appointed to the role, having worked within the pharma and healthcare sectors for 18 years.
After stints with Astra, GSK, Johnson and Johnson, Boehringer Ingelheim and Elan, he spent the last five years with Innovex in a range of marketing and sales management roles.
Before setting up its academy, Excel Communications had run training workshops for doctors on behalf of pharma for a number of years.
Its pharma clients include: AstraZeneca, BMS, GSK, Janssen-Cilag, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Roche. From the service sector it works with Virgo Health PR, Chandler Chicco Agency, Innovex, Taylor Nelson Sofres, Ogilvy Healthworld and Ogilvy 4D.
According to research carried out for Excel by TNS Healthcare, 96% of GPs and 84% of hospital consultants don't believe enough management skills training is provided in primary and secondary care.
The online survey was conducted last month and involved 50 GPs and 50 consultant specialists. Its findings also revealed that 94% of respondents would attend management skills training courses, if they were sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry.
"The research confirmed what we have always believed, which is that across the board in primary and secondary care, doctors just don't get any support in terms of management skills training," said Waiton.
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