The must-read stories and debate in health policy and leadership.
- Today’s question on Test and Trace: Will the public sector take back control?
- Today’s covid call: ‘End two-week surgery isolation for children’
The political risks of trying to pass major health legislation to give the government a tighter grip on the NHS were deemed too great by the PM’s advisers, it seems.
A move to swiftly despatch a bill this summer by Matt Hancock was given the thumbs down by No 10, HSJ understands. In fact, it looks unlikely to reach Parliament this year.
Well-placed central sources told us that Boris Johnson’s advisers took soundings from stakeholders and decided against trying to pass the legislation while winter pressures and a possible covid second wave buffeted the NHS.
In September, NHS England asked government to make legal changes which would effectively unpick large parts of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The Conservative Party committed to enacting the propsed legislation in its 2019 manifesto.
Following criticism of both the NHS and the DHSC’s performance during the covid crisis by Conservative MPs and commentators, Mr Hancock wanted to include a power of direction for the health secretary over NHSE…
Last past the post
A teaching hospital trust’s recruitment for a temporary equalities director job has been criticised after external candidates were given just 10 days to apply.
King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust got the advertisement “totally wrong”, said one person, as NHS managers and equality leads raised their concerns on social media.
Abdul Hamied, an assistant programme manager at NHS England, tweeted: “This is great commitment from KCHFT to address deep [rooted] EDI issues, but they have got the duration of the work/role totally wrong.”
KCFT told HSJ it takes equality, diversity and inclusion “very seriously” and said the post will become permanent.
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