To: Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, 27 June 2015
Dear Mr Hunt,
Report on NHS management by Sir Stuart Rose, announced by the Department of Health February 2014 [1]
I write to ask for a copy of the above report by Sir Stuart Rose under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
The findings of the report have been widely leaked for some months now. These leaks make alarming reading. For example:
“Stuart Rose has concluded that mediocre managers are allowed to move from job to job without being held to account and that success is insufficiently rewarded or celebrated, people familiar with the contents of his report say.”[2]
You will be aware that the recycling of poor NHS managers is of great relevance to whistleblowing governance. Whistleblowers frequently find that managers who have suppressed concerns and victimised them are not held accountable, or are even promoted. It is of concern that you have not authorised the release of Sir Stuart’s report despite your professed support for patient safety and transparency in the NHS, and your promise to “call time” on the mistreatment of whistleblowers. The failure to publish is a serious omission especially given that the Department of Health has been consulting on the implementation of Sir Robert Francis’ Freedom to Speak Up review. Crucial insights from Sir Stuart’s report have been withheld from this process and this will likely contribute to less effective whistleblowing measures.
The Chair of the Health Committee has criticised the failure to publish Sir Stuart’s report. [4]
It is also relevant to note that the Department of Health has suppressed important past reports that criticised NHS management and safety culture, some of which were only released after FOI requests. [3]
Moreover, I am sure that you and the Department of Health will also be aware of countless enquiries via social media by named individuals, over many months, about the publication of the report. ICO have advised public bodies to treat such enquiries as valid requests for information. [5]
Accordingly, I would be grateful if you could also advise when the Department of Health will publish Sir Stuart’s report, with reference to statements by the Department in February that it will be published “in due course”.[2]
Lastly, as I assume that this will not be the first FOI request that you have received regarding Sir Stuart’s report, please could you advise how many FOI requests that you and or the Department of Health have received
i) requesting a copy of Sir Stuart’s report
ii) requesting information about the report’s publication
Yours sincerely,
Dr Minh Alexander
cc ICO
Committee for Standards in Public Life
Lord Paul Bew
Sir Jeremy Heywood Cabinet Secretary
[2] Rose report criticising management of NHS ‘put on back burner’, Financial Times 16 February 2015
[3] When managers rule Patients may suffer, and they’re the ones who matter, Prof Brian Jarman, BMJ Editorial 19 December 2012
[4] Jeremy Hunt accused of covering critical report, Toby Helm Political Editor, Guardian 7 March 2015
[5] Recognising a request made under the Freedom of Information Act (section 8), ICO 2014 https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1164/recognising-a-request-made-under-the-foia.pdf
SHARMILA CHOWDHURY 