Mike Cooke, Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare, the County’s mental health and learning disability service provider has been asked to sit on a new NHS leadership council, announced by Lord Darzi in his report ‘High Quality Care for All’. The Council will be chaired by NHS chief executive David Nicholson and will be responsible for overseeing leadership initiatives; with a dedicated budget and a focus on standards.
The Leadership Council is a great opportunity for the NHS to champion a real change in leadership development across the health and social care system and it it important that the design of the Council is informed through discussion with key stakeholders.
One of its first acts, and a very welcome one, will be to commission a new development programme for trust boards. The Appointments Commission looks forward to working with other partners to ensure that the roles and development needs of chairs and non-executive directors are recognised and addressed alongside clinical and other leaders.
The report aims to do more to free NHS staff and organisations from central control. Existing reforms such as NHS foundation trusts and practice-based commissioning will be extended and improved. We may see an acceleration in the number of FT approvals in coming years. Nottinghamshire Healthcare is aiming to become a Foundation Trust Equivalent, as its high secure services at Rampton Hospital prevent it from becoming a Foundation Trust.
Mike commented:
“I’m delighted to have been asked to join the NHS Leadership Council. Trusts are only as good as their staff and the people leading them; there is a real need for Board level development – we are committed to that at Nottinghamshire Healthcare and I welcome the chance to influence national initiatives.”
