Ban on new senior roles for guilty NHS bosses

NHS bosses found guilty of serious misconduct could be barred from taking senior posts at other health trusts.

Both the Tories and Labour are drawing up the measures to protect patients and whistleblowers. It is hoped the plans, which come in the wake of failings uncovered in the probe into baby killer Lucy Letby, will hold failing hospital bosses to proper account.

Unlike NHS doctors and nurses, who face being struck off the medical register at misconduct tribunals, there is currently no independent regulatory body to deal with senior managers.

Letby, 34, murdered seven babies and tried to kill six others while working as a neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester hospital.

Her trial was told how colleagues tried to flag up concerns with senior management but were ignored for months.

Last year she was jailed for life with no prospect of parole and last month she was denied permission to appeal her convictions.

Currently, directors appointed to hospital trusts must pass a fit-and-proper test to check the suitability of potential board members.

A regulated scheme would stop poorly performing managers and directors from moving between health organisations. Those guilty of serious misconduct face being struck off.

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard believes it is the “right time” to look at formal regulation of hospital bosses.

She has told a health select committee: “We have certainly undertaken, with the Government, to ask whether we should bring forward the regulation of managers in light of what has happened.

“My sense from roundtables – we have had a number of conversations about it – is that while it is very complex and would ultimately require legislation, because it is a matter for government, actually it is the right time for us to look again at whether there is value in a more formalised regulatory approach.”

Health Minister Andrew Stephenson said: “The Department of Health and NHS England are considering whether further mechanisms are needed to hold senior managers accountable, including the possibility of a disbarring system.”

Labour has also promised to hold NHS managers to account should it win next month’s general election.

‘It is the right time to look at regulation’