Health secretary Wes Streeting wants to introduce new regulation which could see NHS managers banned if they endanger patients or silence whistleblowers.
The government will launch a consultation tomorrow in a bid to usher in professional standards and a culture of transparency. This follows the health secretary’s announcement earlier this month at NHS Providers’ annual conference which outlined how managers who fail persistently will be replaced.
New regulation
Fundamentally, the proposals aim to stop the revolving door of managers, instead barring those with poor records from working in the health service. Some of the options being considered include:
- Voluntary accreditation register
- Statutory barring mechanisms
- Full statutory registration
The incoming regulatory system will, at the minimum, cover all board-level directors in NHS organisations across England, arm’s length body board-level directors and integrated care board members.
“To turn around our NHS we need the best and brightest managing the health service, a culture of transparency that keeps patients safe, and an end to the revolving door that allows failed managers to pick up in a new NHS organisation,” said health minister Karin Smyth.
Further reform
The Department of Health and Social Care is also looking to introduce a new professional duty of candour for managers which would make them accountable for patient safety concerns. NHS England, meanwhile, is developing a single code of practice, standards and competencies for all NHS managers – a national training curriculum will help leaders meet the new demands.
NHSE CEO Amanda Pritchard, explained: “It is right that NHS managers have the same level of accountability as other NHS professionals, but it is critical that it comes alongside the necessary support and development to enable all managers to meet the high quality standards that we expect.”
Tomorrow will see the government launch a report based on a duty of candour call for evidence launched in December 2023.
Independence and accountability
NHS Providers’ deputy CEO, Saffron Cordery, has said the news will be broadly welcomed by health service managers. "Alongside the critical focus on quality of care and patient safety, it is vital regulation is fair and equitable, proportionate and offers support and development for managers,” she said.
"Regulation must support a culture of openness that we know is critical to delivering consistently safe care. Crucially, regulation must be independent of both those being regulated, and of politics.”
Cordery added that the focus must be on accountability rather than blame and punishment.
The new consultation will run for 12 weeks from tomorrow.
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