Voluntary redundancy update
1. The Chief Executive provided an update confirming that discussions with the Treasury had enabled the voluntary redundancy scheme to restart.
2. The Committee noted the approved funding profile and emphasised that the voluntary nature of the scheme must be reinforced in all communications.
3. Members requested regular updates, including equality impacts, and agreed that a further virtual meeting should take place before Christmas.
Update on talent and appointments
4. The Committee received an overview of national chair and non-executive appointments and noted ongoing delegated responsibilities across trusts and ICBs.
5. Members welcomed a planned targeted media campaign to reach candidates from a broader range of backgrounds and requested regional analysis in future reports.
6. The Committee supported the development of a lower cost board development approach based on peer learning and regional collaboration.
Delivering and Approving the Committee Terms of Reference
7. Members considered how the Committee would deliver its remit and discussed alignment with other Board committees.
8. The Committee agreed that its primary focus would be on the internal workforce of NHS England, including leadership, culture and people management.
9. Minor drafting changes were proposed, and the Secretariat was asked to incorporate these before the Terms of Reference are submitted to the Board.
People management in NHS England
10. The Committee received a detailed report on people management which highlighted long standing issues in HR operations and line management capability.
11. Members welcomed improvements in audit outcomes and reductions in case backlogs.
12. The Committee supported exploration of a business case for greater automation and agreed that quarterly progress updates should be scheduled.
Organisational development component of the DHSC and NHS England Transformation Programme
13. Members noted progress on organisational development work designed to support cultural integration between DHSC and NHS England.
14. The Committee emphasised that culture and leadership alignment must be treated as central elements of transformation rather than secondary activity.
15. The Transformation Team was asked to bring a detailed delivery plan with milestones and engagement measures to the next meeting.
NHS England Pay Gap Report 2024 to 2025
16. The Committee received the draft pay gap report and welcomed the continued improvement in the gender pay gap.
17. Members noted that progress on ethnicity and disability gaps remained limited and stressed the need for better data quality.
18. The report was approved for publication, subject to final executive review.
Executive HR group update
19. The Committee noted improvements in audit performance, governance and case management within HR processes.
20. Members agreed that regular trend data should be included in future reports to support sustained assurance.
21. The Committee requested a review of alignment between the Group’s Terms of Reference and those of the Committee.
Updated appointment and termination policies
22. Members reviewed the revised policies which reflect changes to the NHS operating model and governance structure.
23. The Committee endorsed the updates and agreed that consistent communication to regional directors and Chairs would be required.
24. Final confirmation on remuneration will be sought before publication.
Leadership, management and talent portfolio
25. The Committee noted continued progress across leadership and talent programmes despite reduced national funding.
26. Members emphasised the importance of developing confident and capable managers at all levels.
27. The Committee supported work to align leadership expectations with the future College of Executive and Clinical Leadership and requested a refreshed programme plan for a future meeting.
Feedback and reflections
28. Members reflected positively on the quality of discussion and the clarity provided by the revised Terms of Reference.
29. The Committee agreed to hold an additional virtual meeting before Christmas to review progress on the voluntary redundancy scheme.
Any other business
30. The Chair of NHS England provided an update on the planned recruitment of seven regional chair roles to strengthen regional leadership.
31. Members supported the proposal and noted that final details on appointments and remuneration would follow established governance routes.