The Minister for Health (Stephen Hammond)
On 23 May 2018, the House was informed that the Government had asked Tom Kark QC to carry out a review of the scope, operation and purpose of the fit and proper person requirement. Tom Kark has now completed his review having engaged on these issues with a range of interested parties, including the Care Quality Commission, NHS improvement, NHS England, and parliamentarians who had expressed an interest. We are today publishing his report on the review of the fit and proper person test as it applies to directors within the health services in England.
Our senior leaders are critical to the delivery of high quality and safe care in the NHS. We owe them our thanks and respect and we need to support them and ensure that they have the right skills and competencies to do these most challenging roles. The review underlines the importance of supporting the vast majority of NHS directors to do a good job and what more could be done in strengthening the leadership in the NHS.
Tom Kark has made seven recommendations and the Government accept in principle the recommendations to develop specified standards of competence that all directors who sit on the board of any health providing organisation should meet, and to create a central database of directors. We will consider all other recommendations including a mandatory reference requirement and a recommendation to introduce a power to disbar directors for serious misconduct. Tom Kark has also recommended that the fit and proper person test should be extended to clinical commissioning groups and appropriate arm’s length bodies.
It is important we consider this review alongside other proposals on leadership and development for NHS managers. I have therefore asked Baroness Harding to look at how best to implement these recommendations through the system wide workforce implementation process which she is chairing and which is set out in the NHS long term plan. We have asked Baroness Harding to consider a range of options and to ensure that she draws on the views of key partners.
I am keen to see the NHS open up to a diverse range of talented individuals from outside the NHS, beyond the traditional NHS background, and more with clinical backgrounds. Excellent NHS directors are vital to delivering a high standard of care and are committed to serving the needs of patients and service users. It is important that we focus on leadership and enhancing the strength of NHS managers as a profession, while dealing appropriately with the small minority of directors whose conduct raises concerns about their suitability for their post.
I would like to thank Tom Kark and his team for their work in delivering this important report.
A copy of the report has been deposited in the Library of both Houses.
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