NHS managers who silence whistleblowers will be banned from working in other senior health service roles, the government has announced.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is bringing forward a raft of proposals it says will ensure those who commit serious misconduct cannot simply work elsewhere in the NHS in senior management positions.
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It said legislation will be put forward to parliament next year to introduce professional standards and regulation of NHS managers.
Currently, there is no regulatory framework for the tens of thousands of clinical and non-clinical NHS managers, as there is for doctors and nurses.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the reforms would “slam the door in the face of unsuitable managers”.
Mr Streeting added: “I’m determined to create a culture of honesty and openness in the NHS where whistleblowers are protected, and that demands tough enforcement.
“If you silence whistleblowers, you will never work in the NHS again.
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“We’ve got to create the conditions where staff are free to come forward and sound the alarm when things go wrong. Protecting the reputation of the NHS should never be put before protecting patient safety.
“Most NHS leaders are doing a fantastic job, but we need to stop the revolving door that allows managers sacked for misconduct or incompetence to be quietly moved to another well-paid role in another part of the NHS.”
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DHSC said a public consultation launched last November received more than 4,900 contributions on ways managers and leaders could be regulated.
The system to bar NHS managers will apply to board-level directors and their direct reports within NHS bodies.
Further laws will set out new statutory powers for the Health and Care Professions Councils to disbar senior NHS leaders who have committed serious misconduct.
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Professional standards for NHS England managers will be separately set out to establish a “consistent, national set of expectations about NHS management and leadership competency and conduct”, DHSC said.
Earlier this year, the government announced it is abolishing NHS England, the body that oversees the budget, planning and delivery of healthcare, but this will take two years.
