West Midlands Cancer Alliance – MDT Leadership Webinars
What our commissioner and participants said
“We partnered with 360 Degree Society (360) to deliver leadership and change management webinar series to our MDT Leads across the West Midlands, as part of a wider improvement programme. The 360-team worked with us to design a bespoke training package that could provide the necessary skills development as part of a priority Cancer Alliance programme. The 360 team provided a high calibre service from the outset, ensuring training sessions were scheduled to align competing priorities, maximising the opportunity for attendance across NHS organisations. The 360 team have received exceptionally positive feedback for the overall quality of training provided, with attendees noting the depth of understanding around leadership and change management theory and practice enabling them to deliver real-world impact in their roles.
We continue to work with the 360- team as part of an expanded commission for MDT improvement for 26/27, which will incorporate learning and feedback from our stakeholders to provide a diverse range of training and development opportunities.”
“This programme gave me practical tools I could apply straight away. I now lead MDT meetings with confidence, manage conflict effectively, and ensure every voice is heard. It’s made a real difference to team efficiency and patient-centred decisions.”
“Fantastic training! My MDT meetings are now structured, inclusive, and far more efficient. I feel confident and equipped to lead.”
Background
West Midlands Cancer Alliance (WMCA) commissioned 360 Degree Society to deliver a leadership programme for core members of MDTs. This was the second commission, building on the success of the commission in 2024, to deliver a leadership programme for Cancer Leads, Chairs and Vice Chairs of multi-disciplinary teams. The 2025 MDT leadership programme is aligned with WMCA’s priority for the WMCA to develop their MDT leaders and core members, to ensure that MDTs are running effectively and following the NHS guidelines for streamlining MDT meetings.
360 Degree Society was commissioned to design and deliver bite size leadership webinars sessions, with the aim of continuing to support these clinicians in their MDT roles.
Activity
Each of these bite size leadership webinar was tailored to meet the needs of course participants. Using the evaluations from the previous commission, 360 Degree Society were able to understand what key skill areas MDT leads felt they would benefit from further support with. 360 Degree Society then worked in conjunction with WMCA programme managers to ensure the webinars would meet core MDT member’s needs and support them in their leadership and MDT roles.
The bite size leadership programme consisted of five linked but standalone webinars. Webinar 1 was repeated three times and webinars 2-4 were repeated four times each. A reconnector session held four months after the end of Webinar 4, which focused on learning consolidation, was repeated twice. The webinars ranged in duration for 2 - 4.5 hours, depending on topic and content.
The webinars consisted of:
High Performing Teams / MDTs
Leading & Managing Change in MDTs and Tumour Pathways
Effective Chairing Skills & Running Effective Meetings
Managing Difficult Conversations in the MDT
Reconnect Session
The bite size leadership topics aimed to develop the knowledge, insight and skills of core MDT members to support them in their leadership roles.
Webinar 1 - High Performing Teams: Understanding the nature of teams, the importance of effective teamwork supported by research, and the factors driving high performance. This topic also explores tools to audit team effectiveness and discusses actions and learning, for participants to bring back to their MDT.
Webinar 2 - Leading & Managing Change in MDT’s and Cancer Services: To gain a deeper understanding of managing and leading change within the MDT or CA by reflecting on various models and theories of change. The sessions include a consideration of how to be a credible change agent, recognise the impact of change on both you and others, and what teams and organisations require to successfully deliver effective change.
Webinar 3 - Effective Chairing Skills and Running Productive Meetings: A focus on the key responsibilities of a chairperson, including leading facilitative and productive meetings, and an exploration of practical guidelines and best practices for preparing, structuring, and conducting both face-to-face and virtual meetings.
Webinar 4 – Managing Difficult Conversations in the MDT: To examine what makes some difficult conversations challenging, utilising Transactional Analysis and exploring concepts such as psychological safety and affect, to promote more effective and productive interactions.
MDT Core Members Leadership Programme Reconnect: This session provides an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect with peers following the webinars. Participants can share their individual experiences and seek guidance from facilitators on applying the tools and insights gained throughout the programme to their leadership roles and MDTs, with a strong emphasis on sustaining learning over the long term.
Results
We evaluated each of the Webinar sessions using Kirkpatrick level 1 and 2 (reaction and learning).
Webinars achieved exceptionally high satisfaction: 97–100% of attendees agreed or strongly agreed that each session met its aims and was well facilitated.
98–100% strongly agreed they found the blend of theory, discussion, and group work effective, and rated materials and optional reading as valuable resources.
Sessions were praised for their structure, delivery, and practical relevance, with increased attendee confidence in leading and chairing MDTs and managing difficult conversations.
Each webinar received positive comments. A few examples are included here:
“The tools from these sessions have transformed how I chair MDT meetings—clearer structure, better engagement, and more efficient outcomes.”
“I now prepare with confidence and use system mapping to tackle challenges. It’s improved how our MDT functions day-to-day.”
“Understanding emotional intelligence has helped me manage conflict calmly and keep meetings focused on patient outcomes.”
“Setting ground rules after the training made a huge difference—our discussions are more inclusive and productive.”
“The OFNR framework and 5-second pause technique have changed how I approach difficult conversations—less stress, better results.”
“Networking with peers was invaluable. Sharing ideas gave me practical strategies to improve MDT efficiency.”
“I feel more assertive and confident in my leadership role. This training gave me tools I can apply immediately.”
“The chairing session was one of the best I’ve attended—practical, relevant, and it’s already making meetings run smoother.”
All sessions gained positive comments about the delivery team, including:
“This was excellent…fun and informative. I have learnt so much.”
“Wonderful course in helping MDT and meetings management.”
“Really excellent webinar and fantastic facilitators, thank you.”
“Very well structured and organised webinars.”
Further Evaluation
Four months after webinar 4, we offered a reconnector session to all participants. The sessions aimed to embed the learning from webinars 1-4 and to provide facilitator and peer-peer support. We also wanted to understand how participants had transferred the learning into their roles and the return on investment using Kirkpatrick level 3 and 4 (changes in behaviour and results).
Return on Investment of the programme
The programme and reconnector sessions demonstrate a clear return on investment through:
Overall Impact in confidence levels
Participants consistently reported increased confidence, awareness and intentional leadership. Confidence shifts included increases from 3 to 9, and from 4/5 to 7/8 in chairing and difficult conversations.
Quantified impact on MDT productivity:
20–30% shorter MDT meetings
Around 50% improvement in discussion effectiveness
·More consistent on time finishes in MDT meetings
Leadership confidence uplift - Clear linkage between:
Increased capability in leadership behaviours
Links to MDT efficiency
Improved decision quality
Reduction in conflict and improvements team dynamics
Measurable confidence uplift across participants,
Improved MDT efficiency and time use,
Reduction in rework, conflict and improvements in decision-making,
Increased leadership capacity across MDT core members.
Effective Chairing, Structure and Time Management
Participants consistently described improvements in how MDT meetings were planned, structured and run. Reported changes included:
Stronger focus on starting and finishing meetings on time,
Clearer agendas and case sequencing,
Improved ability to keep discussions focused and purposeful,
Greater confidence in holding boundaries with senior voices.
Practical examples:
Introduction of pre-meeting preparation and structured templates,
Separating straightforward cases,
Rotating roles such as timekeeper, “rabbit-hole” monitor and gatekeeper to support flow and shared ownership,
Use of a “car park” to capture issues outside the MDT remit without losing them or consuming MDT time.
Impact observed:
Meetings finishing on time more consistently,
Reduced wasted time and duplication,
Clearer decisions and follow-through,
Better use of specialist time.
Quality of Discussion and Decision-Making at MDT’s and cancer meetings
Participants reported a marked improvement in the quality rather than the quantity of MDT discussion. Key shifts included:
More focused questioning,
Better use of specialist input (CNS, radiology, pathology, AHPs),
Reduction in inappropriate or poorly prepared cases,
Fewer repeat discussions and “second conversations” outside MDT.
Collective Leadership and Inclusion of MDT Core Members
A strong theme was the move away from MDTs being chair-dominated towards more collectively led forums.
Participants described:
Listening more intentionally,
Asking different professional groups what they needed,
Being more aware of how leadership behaviour shapes MDT dynamics.
Reported changes included:
More active contribution from CNSs and other professional groups,
Deliberate allocation of roles to ensure all voices are heard,
Increased confidence to challenge appropriately, including among newer consultants.
Managing Conflict and Difficult Conversations
The sessions on difficult conversations and transactional analysis were repeatedly cited as “very useful” and, in some cases, “transformative”.
Reported impact included:
Increased confidence in handling difficult conversations (e.g. 4/5 → 7/9),
Greater ability to stay in adult–adult mode,
Reduced escalation and defensiveness,
Improved clarity and problem-solving.
Participants reported:
Successfully navigating difficult conversations that would previously have been avoided,
Raising issues constructively with colleagues,
Greater confidence to challenge behaviour without damaging relationships.
This capability was particularly important in:
Merged services,
Virtual MDTs,
Teams under sustained pressure.
Observable Changes in MDT Practices
Participants described tangible, observable changes since applying the learning:
Meetings less chaotic and more structured,
Improved organisation and coordination across centres,
Clearer agreement of minutes by reviewing them live in meetings,
Improved case readiness and communication,
Better engagement and participation,
Reduced conflict and escalation,
Improved confidence in leading MDTs during staffing challenges (e.g. sickness).
These changes indicate system-level benefits, not just individual development.