8 October - non-executive directors webinar

This week’s session began in conversation with Kathy McLean, Chair, University Hospitals Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICS, Non-Executive Director at Barts Health NHS Trust.

Overheard during the discussion:

“The integrated care board should not become the focal point for everything and there is a real danger in this happening. Lots of people in the system think that if they are not part of the ICB board then they’re not having a say in the system – this is not the case and we must absolutely avoid that.”

“There is an inverted pyramid with the ICS; the ICB board being the small tip at the bottom bit, neighbourhood and PCNs being the filler and then population being the largest block at the top. This analogy helps us avoid a hierarchical vision.”

“During this period of transition, my worry is that we could concentrate too much on the governance and entirely on setting things up and then take the eye off the ball on population health as this should remain a huge priority at the same time as this is all happening.”

“I’m a big believer in mutually holding ourselves to account and this is the ethos I would like to see. We should know that we will be held to account by NHS England and the whole board but I do think we have to maintain what has been building which is relationships between local authorities and social care and if we lose this we will go back a good five years on this journey.”

“Relationships in the ICS are absolutely critical. Without developing trusting relationships ICSs will not be successful.”

“We have a massive amount to do to help those on the frontline see the health and care world in a different perspective. I want us to work on how we share a vision with everybody. This shouldn’t come out from a central place but be embodied in everyone in the organisation.”

“The ICB board has a responsibility around the staff it has transferred across who have developed a very clear mindset and culture in their organisations. How can we develop a shared understanding on population health when staff may have a variety of perspectives from their previous experiences?”

“There is something very important in having a good ICS chair to strengthen relationships by bringing in all the different voices and one that tries to tackle the difficult issues rather than avoid them. It’s important that we always think about our values and commitments as an ICB and a good chair can help remind us of this.”

These meetings are by invitation and are open to all NHS non-executives directors, chairs and associate non-executive directors of NHS providers. Others may attend by special invitation. For further details, visit our events page.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions about these webinars, please contact: events@good-governance.org.uk