Daily Insight: ‘Warts and all’

Earlier this month, NHS England published its revised fit and proper person test framework, which included guidance that directors will have details on their fitness to hold leadership roles stored on their employer’s electronic staff record until their 75th birthday and that this will be used to write a “standard reference” when they seek a new job.

But now the top barrister behind the review of the FPPT has argued NHSE could have gone further and insisted errors be disclosed to future employers, warning there was a particular risk this wouldn’t happen if somebody signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of their exit package. 

Tom Kark KC also told HSJ: “I think it is absolutely critical that a full, honest, comprehensive reference is given. It is a sort of warts-and-all reference and must make reference to ongoing investigations, and previous investigations.

“I think it will be far harder now to write a sort of vanilla reference, if I can call it that. I think one of the problems is that this is not being statutory, and being guidance only, [I wonder] whether the lawyers will be able to attack a warts-and-all reference.”

Taking a step back

A senior NHSE director has stepped back from his role leading the health service’s drive to net zero.

Nick Watts has been a key player in the system’s green agenda from the very start, having become the NHS’s first chief sustainability officer in 2020 to oversee the net zero aim announced in the same year. Before that, he had chaired the net zero taskforce which developed the target. 

His deputy, Chris Gormley, is now acting chief sustainability officer. He worked as a civil servant on energy and climate change policy, before moving over into the NHS. 

Mr Gormley is now in charge of the ambitious efforts to get the NHS to net zero for direct emissions by 2040, and for all others by 2045.

NHSE confirmed the change in leadership and described Dr Watts’ move as a career break. The Australian medical doctor will be working for universities in Singapore and the US during this time.