Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how the Department of Health and Social Care ensures compliance with Treasury guidance on public sector exit payments and value for money protocols if the department does not assess whether interim chief executive post cover at South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board performed the same statutory duties as a redundant role.

Contractual National Health Service redundancy payments are managed through local governance arrangements, in line with the relevant contractual terms and conditions, including Agenda for Change, where applicable, and with the employer’s internal approval, accountability, and value for money processes. In general, additional departmental or HM Treasury approval is associated with non-contractual or exceptional payments, such as special severance payments, rather than standard contractual redundancy payments.

NHS England has advised that, in the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), this was treated as a contractual compulsory redundancy case within a wider restructuring context and was considered in the context of wider changes affecting ICB Chief Executive arrangements. NHS England has further advised that approval of the redundancy payment was given on the basis that it would avoid the need for further redundancies, either through redeployment or new leadership arrangements.

The Department does not centrally reassess individual local post structures, including whether interim cover performed the same statutory duties as an earlier role.