Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken recent steps to assess the competency of senior managers in the NHS; and what steps he is taking to improve accountability structures in the NHS.

Systems and processes are already in place to ensure the accountability of National Health Service directors. NHS England has recently strengthened these through the introduction of the Fit and Proper Person Framework. This will introduce a set of standard competencies for board directors, a means of retaining information regarding individual directors and a new board member reference template. The Framework is effective from 30 September 2023 and should be implemented by all boards by 31 March 2024.

NHS England has reminded all NHS organisations of their obligations not to appoint any individual as a board director unless they satisfy all Fit and Proper Person requirements, including that they have not been responsible for, been privy to, contributed to or facilitated any serious misconduct or mismanagement.

The Department and NHS England are considering whether further mechanisms are needed to hold senior NHS managers accountable, including the possibility of a disbarring system.