National NHS Leadership Academy plans outlined

The Department of Health has announced proposals to create a new national Leadership Academy that will play a key role in plans to empower frontline NHS staff.

Marking the 63rd anniversary of the health service, ministers have outlined an initiative that will provide all NHS workers with equal opportunities to develop their leadership skills.

This will provide clinicians and nurses with the same level of authority to non-clinical managers, helping them to take a more commanding role in determining the direction of NHS reforms.

It is hoped that this will ultimately give rise to a more effective and patient-centric health service in the UK.

Prime minister David Cameron said: "If we want the NHS to continue to be there for people in the decades to come, we need to modernise it."

Earlier this month, the government announced the allocation of one million pounds of funding to support the creation of health and wellbeing boards, which will help in the delivery of localised healthcare services.