Health Management and Policy Alert

The courage to be kind: reflecting on the role of kindness in the healthcare response to COVID-19

Carnegie UK Trust - 
This report draws on a series of reflective conversations, conducted between April and September 2020 with five medics working in different parts of NHS Scotland. The conversations reflected on what can be achieved when united by a common purpose, and when work is underpinned by relationships and collaboration. But alongside the opportunities presented by changes in practice and a renewed focus on wellbeing, there was concern that this may be lost amidst a focus on remobilising and ‘getting back to normal’.

• Report
• Summary

The future of integrated care in England

NHS Confederation - 
With the Government expected to introduce new primary legislation affecting the NHS over the coming year, NHS leaders have set out the factors they believe should be central to a new framework for integrated care systems (ICSs) in this report summarising feedback from a six-month engagement process. The report argues that joint working across health and care should be embedded in law and encouraged through a new statutory duty for all providers, commissioners and other partners in local systems.

• Report
• Press release

Formative evaluation of NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Culture and Leadership Programme

Alliance Manchester Business School -
The Culture and Leadership Programme (CLP) is a phased organisational approach to shape leadership and culture, such that it positively effects the quality of patient care. The programme has the themes of inclusion and compassion at its core, and supports sustained focus on these for all leaders and staff. This evaluation seeks to understand how the CLP is being implemented, the support and resources needed to effectively implement the programme and the impact the programme is having on leadership, behaviours and culture.

• Report
• University of Manchester - research publications

Action for equality: the time is now

NHS Confederation -
According to this report, NHS leadership that more fairly represents women in senior roles is “essential, overdue and needed now”. The Health and Care Women Leaders Network has found that while progress has been made to increase the proportion of women in leadership roles across the health service, there is much more to do to meet the NHS’s target for 50:50 representation this year, as set by the NHS regulator in 2016.

• Report
• NHS Confederation - news

The NHS after Covid-19: the views of provider trust chief executives

NHS Confederation - 

This report is based on interviews with thirteen provider trust chief executives in which they discuss the changes they have made to respond to COVID-19, as well as how best to restart and deliver services as we move into the next phase of the pandemic. The interviews took place in late May and early June 2020. The cohort identified three key concerns in  resetting services following the emergency response to the pandemic: staff wellbeing, restarting other NHS services safely, and the long-term impact on health inequalities.

• Report
• Press release

Strategic Health Authorities and regions: lessons from history

Nuffield Trust -
In 2019, NHS England and NHS Improvement aligned to operate as a single organisation, resulting in the creation of seven regional teams. But this is not the first time national oversight of health care has been supported by these kinds of regional bodies. This report considers what lessons might be learned from recent previous experiences, what works, and what are the pitfalls for this kind of intermediate-level management. A range of senior representatives who were responsible for running regional health authorities in their previous incarnation were interviewed for the report and the issues were discussed with people working in other parts of the health system hierarchy at that time.

• Report
• Nuffield Trust - publications

Leading through Covid-19: supporting health and care leaders in unprecedented times

The King's Fund - 

The health and care system in the United Kingdom is facing a huge challenge, placing enormous pressure on health and care staff with unprecedented demands on leaders, wherever they work. These pages on The King's Fund website aim to provide support to health and care leaders, whether they are working in the NHS, social care, public health or the voluntary and independent sector. We want to ensure this  support is  practical, helpful and works, so please use the online form to tell us how we can help. There's also the first of our quick-read practical guides and videos.

• Long read

Chairing more than one trust board

NHS Providers -
This report highlights the potential benefits and risks of more than one trust sharing a chair. This arrangement is becoming increasingly common for a range of different reasons, often including a trend towards greater collaboration and consolidation of trusts, a drive to improve quality and efficiency, and new partnerships with the development of system working.

• Report
• NHS Providers - press release

Leading with empathy

NHS Improvement - 
This case study is part of a series that focuses on improving emergency department retention and recruitment. It outlines how East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust are using a modern, supportive approach to staff development to successfully combat longstanding recruitment challenges and rising rates of staff turnover and absence.

• Case study
• Summary

2019 NHS Staff Survey

NHS Survey Coordination Centre - 
The NHS Staff Survey asks NHS staff in England about their experiences of working for their respective NHS organisations. This year's findings reveal that NHS staff say they are now happier and more likely to recommend their organisation as a place to work than last year, but too many still experience unacceptable abuse from patients and the public.

• Survey results
• Press release