The long-term plan is an opportunity for words to be translated into action in supporting NHS leaders
28 November 2018
- A review of NHS leadership titled Empowering NHS leaders to lead carried out by Sir Ron Kerr is published.
- The review explored three of the key challenges faced by leaders in the NHS including support for leaders, performance expectations at organisation and system level, and the administrative burden placed on trust leaders.
- The review recommends a recruitment strategy in partnership with NHS leaders to attract individuals from other sectors, and that regional directors be given responsibility for developing “local leadership pipelines” through “regional talent boards”.
Responding to Sir Ron Kerr’s review into empowering leaders to lead, the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin said:
“We were pleased to contribute to Sir Ron Kerr’s important review about how chief executives within the health service can be better supported and empowered to fulfil their roles.
This report rightly recognises the need to invest in a sustainable pipeline of future leaders in the NHS.
“This report rightly recognises the need to invest in a sustainable pipeline of future leaders in the NHS, to ensure the performance requirements any trust chief executive signs up to are realistic, and to ensure talented leaders have the support they need to succeed in challenging times.
“The long-term plan and the move towards closer working between health and care represent an opportunity to translate these words into action and ensure we are supporting and nurturing talented local leadership teams from a diverse mix of backgrounds.
The long-term plan and the move towards closer working between health and care represent an opportunity to translate these words into action.
“Trust leaders must be supported to deliver a realistic ask. Closer working between the arms-length bodies and regulators within the NHS, including the introduction of regional directors, is one such opportunity to better support local leaders, reduce burden and give leaders the time and space they need to deliver.”