Health Management and Policy Alert

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

How to build effective teams in general practice

The King's Fund -
This guide draws on insights from our research, policy analysis and leadership practice to outline ways in which practices can create and sustain effective teams, as they come together to form primary care networks.

• The King's Fund - publications

Leading for integrated care: 'If you think competition is hard, you should try collaboration'

The King's Fund -
This report explores the progress, challenges and opportunities the move towards greater integration presents, through interviews with 16 people leading or chairing an integrated care system or sustainability and transformation partnership.

• Report
• The King's Fund - publications

Developing allied health professional leaders: an interactive guide for clinicians and trust boards

NHS Improvement -
This is a guide to professional development opportunities and possibilities to support allied health professionals (AHPs) lead at all levels. It describes the common features of the AHP leadership journey, by combining insights and evidence from trust executives and chief AHPs. Its primary audience is aspiring AHP leaders and those with responsibility for developing the AHP workforce.

• Guidance
• NHS Improvement - publications

How doctors in leadership roles establish and maintain a positive patient-centred culture

General Medical Council (GMC) - 
This report finds that positively-engaged leaders, from diverse backgrounds, are key to transforming organisational cultures. However, they are often unprepared and unsupported for the challenges of leadership during the early stages of their management careers. It makes the case for support for senior healthcare leaders to help them overcome challenges that can impact on patient care.

• Report
• Press release

A citizen-led approach to health and care: lessons from the Wigan Deal

The King's Fund -
In 2011, Wigan Council had to make unprecedented savings after significant cuts in funding from central government. Drastic measures were needed, including a radical reshaping of the relationship between the council and residents. This became known as the Wigan Deal. This report provides an independent critique of the Wigan Deal drawing on in-depth research, including interviews with key stakeholders, focus groups with members of the public and evidence from data analysis. It explores what local authorities, NHS organisations and others can learn from Wigan’s journey of transformation.

• Report
• The King's Fund - publications

The best job in the world? - the views of first-time NHS chief executives

NHS Confederation -
This report contains the observations of nine new NHS chief executives, with tenures from 18 months to 2.5 years. It outlines the views of the new NHS chief executives on the changes in leadership approach and culture that they believe will be required if the NHS is to meet the ambitions of the Long Term Plan.

• Report
• NHS Confederation - news