Health Management and Policy Alert

Strengthening NHS board diversity

NHS Confederation -
An independent taskforce asked to examine the diversity of healthcare leadership has said that NHS organisations can create a "sustainable pipeline" of senior leaders that properly reflect the diversity of their staff and communities by refreshing their processes for appointing chairs and non-executive directors (NEDs). The report, based on the feedback of taskforce members including NHS chairs, NEDs and chief executives, found that while there are pockets of innovation, the current NHS appointment process for NEDs would benefit from a standard, more transparent procedure.

• Report
• NHS Confederation - news

Developing place-based partnerships: the foundation of effective integrated care systems.

The King's Fund - 
This report considers the potential of place-based partnerships to improve population health and truly support integrated care, and highlights principles to guide their development and the support they might need from regional and national leaders. The King’s Fund reviewed existing evidence and experience on place-based working, explored the development of place-based partnerships within three systems and undertook targeted engagement with local leaders from ICSs, local authorities and voluntary and community sector organisations. This research highlights the potential role of place-based partnerships in improving health and wellbeing and illustrates how these opportunities can be realised.

• Report

Setting up a voluntary buddying scheme

NHS Providers - 

Building on breakout discussions from NHS Providers' online events, the governor team and non-executive directors at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust explain how they introduced a governor to a non-executive director (NED) buddying scheme and its benefits.

• Briefing
• More detail

How might leadership roles evolve in integrated health and care systems?

Social Care Institute for Excellence - 

This report for the NHS Leadership Academy explores some of the implications of the Long Term Plan and its supporting plans on leadership within local health and care systems, the roles that may emerge over time, and what knowledge, skills and support leaders need in the future. The report provides an overview of research carried out to better understand how leadership roles are changing in the health and social care sector, especially in collaborative and integrated health and care systems.

• Report
• More detail

Stories from social care leadership: progress amid pestilence and penury

The King's Fund -
This report contains interviews from across the social care sector to explore where leadership lies and what might be done to improve it.

• Report
• The King's Fund - publications

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