Management Development and Succession Planning: Lessons for Health Service Organisations Available to Purchase

In this article a definition of “succession planning”is given, outlining the potential benefits and problems of implementing a succession‐planning programme in a health service organisation, and factors critical for the success of such a programme are discussed. A case study is presented of one large health service organisation which recently implemented a succession‐planning programme. In this case study, a brief overview is given of the organisational setting, the philosophy and objectives of the programme are outlined and the programme′s implementation and early outcomes are described.