The delegation challenge for doctors

At this time of year, many of us will be turning our attention to holiday planning.  After the initial thoughts about where and when to enjoy a well end break, the question which inevitably follows has to be: What happens when I’m away?
For some reason, there has been a recent flurry of comment on discussion boards regarding a story which first surfaced in September 2013 regarding a survey which concluded “one in eight GPs admit letting receptionists decide which patients need appointments”.  Exactly what has triggered this particular story to come back into focus is not clear.  What is clear is that there is a broad range of views over what is appropriate to delegate and to whom.
I’m sure that we have all at some point been on the receiving end of a workload dropping on us from on high with minimal support or follow up.  At times, the tasks we have been given may have been beyond our abilities, either in the quantity or for our competence at that stage.  Sometimes we sink, sometimes we swim.  There are obvious risks and there is a world of difference between genuine delegation and uncontrolled abdication.
Effective delegation is a key skill within medical leadership and management which doctors must learn to master from the very earliest stages of their career.  It increases in importance as progress is made toward consultant and medical director levels.  It is a skill which has to be studied, understood and practised for improvement.  Consideration has to be given to both “who is the best for the job” and “who is the job best for”.  Processes require clarification and there must be consideration given to communication – both to the person being allocated the task and to others who will need to be aware.
So, how is your holiday planning progressing?  How is your delegation planning progressing?