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The training and qualifications you'll need will depend entirely on the role you're applying for. The majority of clinical managers are qualified and registered healthcare professionals, and for some posts you will need to have gained experience in areas such as clinical audit or clinical governance.

Most jobs in the NHS are covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales. This pay system covers all staff except doctors, dentists and the most senior managers. In the NHS, your career in clinical management would typically start at Agenda for Change band 6 or 7, with some positions at band 5, and the most senior roles rising to band 9 for, for example, a professional manager for a clinical service. NHS staff will usually work a standard 37.5 hours per week. They may work a shift pattern. Roles in integrated urgent care/NHS 111 services are aligned to Skills for Health qualification levels. Terms and conditions of service can vary for employers outside the NHS.

As with any managerial role, you'll need leadership skills, a willingness to work with others and respect their views, good communication skills, effective organisational skills, negotiating skills, the ability to challenge the way things are and find better alternatives, honesty and fairness in dealing with other people and a commitment to the ideals of quality and fairness in delivering healthcare.

In clinical management, you could progress to more senior positions, with a variety of responsibilities at operational or strategic level. For example, NHS trusts and the NHS 111 service have a medical director and a director of nursing, or other senior clinical management roles.