29.08.17
Stevens hands Liverpool CCG legal direction to review staff pay
NHS Liverpool CCG has been ordered by NHS England to review its remuneration arrangements in order to consider whether any governing body members or officers need to have their salaries reduced, as well as to comply with conflicts of interest provisions in its constitution.
In a legal direction issued by NHS England CEO Simon Stevens, the commissioning body was told that it had three months to review its salaries and, where appropriate, cut down on the fees paid to members of its governing body and officers. It will have to co-operate with NHS England in the implementation of this review, including by making senior officers available to discuss progress.
It will also have four weeks to review its organisational development plan and implement recommendations, including ensuring the governing body undertakes a governance training and development programme. Training must be initiated within eight weeks from now.
Stevens also ordered the CCG to comply with provisions in its constitution, including the requirements to manage probity, conflicts of interest, lay representation, contracts, complaints and decision-making.
For example, it will have to double its lay membership from two to four people, with appointments needing to made within three months.
The legal direction, the fourth issued by NHS England this year, comes just a few days after a trio of CCGs – North Derbyshire, North Lincolnshire and Solihull – were slapped with similar orders.
It is, however, seemingly much less severe in content, with the three legal directions from two weeks ago requiring the commissioning bodies to develop financial and sustainability plans, amongst other things.
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an NHE columnist? If so, click here.