NHS managers could face ban for serious misconduct
Posted 17 December 2024 - 11:00
Nurses are invited to contribute to a government consultation on introducing regulation for NHS managers, which will tighten accountability and could have implications for nurses in management positions
Managers with a record of serious misconduct or poor performance could be banned from working in any NHS managerial or leadership role, under new proposals.
A government consultation launched by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will look at options for professional regulation of NHS managers to make them responsible for responding to concerns about patient safety.
Nurses invited to comment on proposed regulation of NHS managers
Announcing the consultation last month, Wes Streeting said the issue had been highlighted by the Infected Blood Inquiry, the Kark Review into the fit and proper persons test and the ongoing Thirwall Inquiry into the Countess of Chester Hospital and the murders committed by former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby.
Nursing staff, employers, clinical managers, social care managers, regulators, unions, patients and the public are all invited to share their views on the plans, including which managers should be subject to the future regulatory system.
The 12-week consultation, which will run until 18 February, will also consider what professional standards managers should demonstrate and what kind of body should regulate them.
What do the proposals to regulate NHS managers cover?
- Regulation that prevents NHS managers with a record of poor performance or misconduct from working in healthcare
- Introduction of a statutory duty of candour that would make NHS managers legally accountable for responding to concerns about patient safety
- Holding NHS managers to account when they endanger patient safety or do not listen to individuals who raise concerns
Source: NHS Employers: Consultation on the regulation of NHS managers
Call for clarity over proposed regulation for nurse managers
The RCN nurses in management and leadership forum welcomed the consultation, but said clear guidance was essential for registered nurses who are also NHS managers.
Vice-chair of the forum Liam Williams said: ‘As regulated professionals, registered nurses are acutely aware of the importance that a regulator plays in supporting the profession and ensuring patient safety.
‘Recent events across health and social care have demonstrated that there is an important role for increased scrutiny and governance in relation to some aspects of healthcare management that could be undertaken through a new regulator.
‘This consultation offers an important opportunity to engage in this consultation, however, it is important to ensure that any new regulator and their role is clearly defined, especially where a registered nurse could also be managing a service.
‘Registered nurses manage and lead services across the NHS, social care, the independent sector and in education at all levels; their managerial role is no less regulated than that of their direct clinical role as it is their status on the register that defines their practice in personal and professional roles.
‘As a forum we are looking at this consultation and will be responding to ensure that the voice of nurse managers and leaders is expressed and heard.’
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