Poll: Should there be restrictions on moving to the private sector after NHS employment?

  • 18 January 2019
Poll: Should there be restrictions on moving to the private sector after NHS employment?

In our poll this week we are asking readers to give their thoughts on whether there should be restrictions on how quickly individuals can leave digital leadership roles in the NHS and move to the digital health private sector.

You have until 1pm on 24 January to cast your vote below. The results will be published shortly afterwards.

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12 Comments

  • There is potential for abuse of knowledge/privilege for people moving in either direction – private to public and public to private, and that’s not solved by imposing a quarantine period but by solid governance around people who have moved.
    For the top spots in an organization there should be clear rules of engagement/conduct that must be monitored, but there’s also huge potential for benefit of allowing leaders to move freely between these sectors, so let’s find a way to let that happen. And it’s got nothing to do with selling off the NHS…

  • There should be open movement of expertise between public and private sectors both ways to improve mutual understanding of what technology needs to do to meet the needs of patients and clinicians. The NHS needs to work to be seen as a great place to work both to retain existing staff and to attract the best and the brightest.

  • It seems to me that the same rules as apply to senior civil servants should apply. Those in national leadership roles operate very much like senior civil servants and enjoy similar benefits.

    These rules impose restrictions for 1 or 2 for the most senior positions.

    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/579758/Business_Appointment_Rules_for_civil_servants.pdf

    • I think for me the issue centres on whether senior public sector employees – in senior positions of influence or policy formulation and implementation, that relate to how public funds are spent – should be able to immediately join suppliers who stand to potentially benefit from the areas they were formerly responsible for?

      And I think there is a very strong case for applying the same rules as already apply to senior civil servants. It’s not a question of whether there is improper behaviour in a particular case, but of clearly setting out a code of conduct that ensures a high level of ethics and probity will apply across all aspects of the public sector’s interactions with the private sector.

      And I don’t think that is at all incompatible with a regular flow of experience between public and private sectors – I think health IT as a whole would really benefit from more people having spells of their career working for both.

  • If they want to leave 10 years at least. If there training has been supplemented by government pay this back too, this should cover all employment that has been supplemented by the government and paid back before they leave.

  • If the NHS has used their resources to train you then there should be a minimum time that you should have to stay or you will have to repay some money… I have worked in the NHS for 45 years, and it’s been always been an abuse of the system…

  • No, why shouldn’t they? With a governement that doesn’t appreciate anything they do and freezes pay, why not go.elsewhwre, no one is a charity after all, besides, it will make the NHS less appealing to the Tories to sell off,

  • No, you asked one question in the “article” and completely different one in the pool. If I was to get punished for leaving the NHS – I would never come to the NHS in the first place.

  • So you want to put an illegal restraint of trade on employees?

    How many good people would refuse to come and enrich the NHS if they thought their future career would be hindered?

  • Why should NHS be any more different any other working companies

    • NHS staff are no civil servants.

Comments are closed.