Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to prevent poorly performing NHS managers from being re-employed in the NHS.

The fit and proper person regulation requirements came into force for all National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts in November 2014. The regulations require trusts to seek the necessary assurance that all directors are suitable and fit to undertake the responsibilities of their role.

The Government asked Tom Kark QC to review the fit and proper persons test. The report on the review was published on 6 February 2019 and the Government has accepted two of the recommendations. These relate to standards of competence for directors of NHS organisations and the setting up of a database.

We have asked NHS Improvement to develop proposals for implementing these recommendations, as well as reviewing if and how the other recommendations should be taken forwards. NHS Improvement is expected to provide advice on these issues in the summer.