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Most of HSJ’s sources say that the chances of finding an overseas leader who would want the role of NHS England chief executive, be capable of carrying it out and be acceptable to British politicians, public and the NHS is a very tall order.

They noted that most very senior overseas healthcare leaders have a level of remuneration and a freedom from political influence not likely to be given to the next NHS England chief.

Nonetheless, HSJ understands the process to replace Sir Simon Stevens will include an attempt to create a shortlist of international candidates to place alongside the British-based front-runners.

HSJ’s nine sources were asked to suggest international healthcare leaders who had the skills and experience to be considered for the NHSE CEO role. Find out who they are here.

Pulled from the front line

Stripping junior doctors out of a rota can have a devastating effect on an organisation’s ability to run services. It is a last resort, used only when the General Medical Council and Health Education England have serious concerns which have not been resolved.

So it seems likely that the 10 foundation year one medicine trainees who were recently removed from Weston General Hospital were having a pretty dreadful time. The GMC’s medical director Colin Melville says they were “frequently left without adequate senior supervision and support on understaffed wards” and that the HEE’s action was “to ensure their safety and protect patients”.

The hospital – now part of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston Foundation Trust – has been under enhanced monitoring for six years, initially for trainees working in emergency medicine and then for general medicine trainees. Professor Melville said that the actions it had taken had not been “sufficient or sustainable” to resolve the problems.

The trust won’t say what the impact of the trainees’ removal has been or what mitigations it has put in place to continue services. If the HEE’s actions makes it deal with some of these long-standing problems it will benefit both patients and trainees. If it doesn’t, there could be further ramifications.

With emergency medicine trainees still under enhanced monitoring, the trust will want to make sure there is no further action which could impact on its daytime-only accident and emergency department.