General Management

“People think work in the NHS is all clinical but that’s really not the case. The General Management specialism allows me to work closely with staff and have a positive impact on patients. I wanted to be as involved as possible in a non-clinical position and this was the best way to do that.” 

Mia, General Management

Start your journey in General Management

Join General Management and learn how to lead teams to perform at their best. Our trainees are supported to add value and take responsibility for teams from the start of their journey as managers in the NHS. You’ll develop management and interpersonal skills through working with colleagues, exposing you to different management styles – as well as academic and experiential study modules. You’ll enhance team performance and improve service delivery by setting and meeting key performance indicators. 

Recent placements include operational manager of a clinical service area, project manager in a Clinical Commissioning Group, strategy manager in an NHS Trust and service transformation lead in an Integrated Care System.

Trainee insight

Nicole shares her experience as a General Management trainee.


Read General Management trainee blogs to find out more about life as a NHS GMTS trainee

Qualifications

General Management trainees work towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Leadership, awarded by the University of Birmingham. You will also participate in experiential and action learning, to develop leadership skills using real-world scenarios. 

There will be a blended mix of approaches to the delivery of learning with Trainees working as a larger cohort and within smaller Inquiry and Application Groups. 

Trainees will also participate in Action Learning Sets and attend a range of conferences throughout the Scheme which will allow them to work and develop together as a group, learning from leading experts within the health and social care sector and further afield. 

Teaching is delivered during working hours, but trainees can expect to complete coursework and revision in their own time.

Career path

General Management trainees have gone on to succeed in leadership roles across the NHS. Recent alumni roles include: Outpatient Deputy General Manager, Clinical Services Support Manager, Strategy & Partnership Manager and Delivery & Service Improvement Manager.

Duration
2 years
Entry
Any degree, 2:2 and above
Location
England
Salary
£29,225 + benefits

We’re looking for leadership potential. To help you achieve yours, every trainee is supported by a:

• Trainee Support Manager from the NHS GMTS team who provides overall holistic and pastoral support for the duration of your time on Scheme.

• Education Officer from the NHS GMTS team who will support you with planning and succeeding in the educational activity you complete outside of placements.

• Placement Manager for each placement you undertake who will be your day-to-day line manager.

• Programme Manager who oversees your development in placement for the whole of the Scheme.

• Buddy who will be able to support you from the experiences they have gained whilst on the Scheme, this is usually a trainee from a previous cohort.

Plus, a range of other NHS GMTS team members, NHS GMTS alumni, academic tutors from the higher education institutions and many more.  

General Management FAQs

All trainees complete the fully funded Diploma.

After you’ve graduated from NHS GMTS, you may decide to work towards a Masters in Healthcare Leadership. The Masters qualification will not be funded by NHS GMTS – alumni are responsible for securing their own funding. You’ll need to work directly with the education provider to progress your studies to Masters level, as this is not organised or arranged by the NHS GMTS.  

No. However, we encourage you to apply to join another specialism. 

Alert: Applications NOW OPEN for 2025 entry!