NHS managers who silence whistleblowers or endanger patients
through misconduct could be barred from working in the NHS, under
proposals being announced by Health Secretary this week.
A public consultation will be launched on Tuesday (26 November
2024) seeking views on government proposals to regulate health
service managers, ensuring they follow professional standards and
are held to account.
The Department of Health and Social Care will also consult on
whether to introduce a new professional duty of candour on
managers, and in addition to make managers accountable for
responding to patient safety concerns.
The changes are part of the government's work to rebuild Britain
and get the NHS back on its feet. They are designed to tackle a
culture of cover up which has been found to be present it several
patient safety scandals in recent years.
, Minister of State for Health,
said:
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.
Earlier this month the Secretary of State promised that as part
of our 10 year plan for health we will reform the NHS so that it
rewards success and acts decisively on failure.
Today's announcement builds on that promise and help us build a
health system that protects patients and is fit for the future.
Regulation will prevent the revolving door that allows
individuals with a record of poor performance or misconduct to
continue to work in the health service. It would deliver on the
Government's manifesto commitment to introduce professional
standards and regulate NHS managers.
Tens of thousands of clinical and non-clinical managers work in
the NHS but there is currently no single regulatory framework for
them in the same way as doctors and nurses.
Options being considered by the consultation include a voluntary
accreditation register, statutory barring mechanisms and full
statutory registration.
Patients, health and care staff, and professional bodies are also
being asked for their views on whether to introduce a statutory
duty of candour which would make NHS managers legally accountable
for responding to concerns about patient safety.
At a minimum, all board-level directors in NHS organisations in
England, arm's length body board level directors and integrated
care board members will be under the new regulatory system.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks from Tuesday, after which
the department will consider responses to the consultation and
will set out next steps in due course.
The move follows the announcement of a new College of Executive
and Clinical Leadership to attract, develop and keep the best
talent in NHS leadership.
Regulation will come alongside support and development, with
managers being given the tools they need to meet standards with
training offers.
NHS England is developing a single code of practice, standards
and competencies for leaders and managers at all levels in the
health service, together with a national training
curriculum.
On Tuesday the Department of Health and Social Care will
publish a report from a call for evidence on duty of candour,
which was launched in December 2023.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said:
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.
We welcome this consultation and already have a range of work
underway to boost support for managers in the NHS and to help set
them up to succeed – this includes creating a single code of
practice, a new induction process and a new set of professional
standards, which will ultimately help drive improvements in
productivity and patient care.
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association said:
We welcome this public consultation on government proposals to
regulate health service managers. Patients tell us that
accountability and transparency is often lacking in their
healthcare journeys.
We encourage everyone who has experienced NHS care, especially
those who have felt unheard by the system, to contribute their
views. We will support patients to engage with this consultation
as genuine partnership with patients builds a safer healthcare
service.
