Big changes announced for the NHS

Government has announced several major changes to the NHS, which it says will improve the organisation’s service and wait times. These include docking the pay of senior executives if they fail to improve wait list times and performance in the health service.

Bonuses of up to 10% will also be on offer for top performers under the new ‘carrot and stick’ approach, the Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement this week.

Under the new plans, the government will look to learn from some of the most effective businesses in the country to recruit top talent to struggling trusts, with leadership vacancies in badly performing areas coming with a temporary pay increase of 15%, worth up to £45,000.

At the same time, government said that it will refresh pay bands for senior managers to better attract and retain effective leaders. Failing executives could see up to £15,000 docked from their salaries if they run into debt or fail to deliver improvements. This is in addition to any existing processes to tackle poor performance, where persistently failing managers could be sacked if they do not turn things around.

“If we are to consistently reach the standards of care the public rightly expect, it is clear that we need to reward those who are delivering for patients,” said Sir Jim Mackey, NHS England Chief Executive.

“An important element of driving improvements must be strengthening the link between pay and operational performance at a very senior level – this happens in almost every other sector and there is no reason for the NHS to shy away from it, particularly when we rely on money that comes directly from taxpayers’ pockets.

“We will be working together with local leaders to improve transparency and ensure progress is recognised, while offering sufficient flexibility to attract talented candidates to the most challenging roles and organisations.”