An introduction

This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part explores broader aspects of medical leadership. A key theme is 'standardisation' or reducing variability, and how medical leadership can contribute to achieving this goal. Gilly Ennals explores health inequalities across geographical regions and some of the reasons for these, drawing on the example of an innovative project established by General Practitioners (GPs) to reduce variability in standards of public health and to improve the quality of primary care services. The part draws on the example of requesting blood tests, where requests for a particular test can vary substantially between regions without an obvious clinical explanation. It demonstrates the benefits of medical engagement across a range of measures and argues that engagement is best achieved through a 'bottom-up' rather than a 'top-down' approach.