Una O’Brien
Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health
What were your biggest policy and delivery challenges in 2013, and how did you handle them?
Responding to the report of Robert Francis QC’s inquiry into the dreadful instances of poor care that went unnoticed for so long at Mid Staffordshire. The Report was clear that, at every level in our health service, there was further action needed to deliver a quality service while protecting patients. In March, we published our initial response to the inquiry, ‘Patients First and Foremost’, and on 19 November we published our full response, setting out our blueprint for transforming culture in the NHS and ensuring hospitals are safe for patients. Measures have included a greater focus on openness and candour in organisations and staff; transparency, including on staffing levels; listening to patients and learning from complaints; expert independent inspection; improved training and support for staff; and greater accountability.
Meanwhile, we’ve been getting ready for winter, and taking action early (planning started in April) to ensure that the health and care system is better equipped to deal with the additional pressures that it brings. And in May, we launched an innovative ‘Connecting’ programme through which our senior civil servants spend time with health and social care organisations, enabling them to get closer to the day-to-day reality of patients and service users. Typically, Connecting experiences involve shadowing staff in partner organisations, although the focus is always on taking every opportunity to interact with people receiving health or social care and to learn about their experiences. We currently have relationships with over 50 providers and, by the end of the year, 96% of our senior leaders and all ministers will have gained frontline experience in health and care settings.
Where have you made the most progress in implementing the Civil Service Reform Plan, and what are your reform priorities for 2014?
We have made progress across the board, embedding civil service reform within our own transformation programme. Highlights include adopting a ‘digital first’ approach – we published our digital strategy at the end of last year, and followed up in July by delivering our digital policy making toolkit in July – and improving financial management: we’re reforming all of our business processes, and have made significant improvements to the quality of our financial management information. Meanwhile, we’re working to develop our people: we’ve embedded the new civil service competency framework into our performance appraisals, we’re focusing on skills development and learning and development, and we’ve launched a Grade 6 & 7 development programme.
What are your key challenges in the last year of the Parliament. How will you tackle them?
Our collective challenge will be to prioritise and deliver effectively and efficiently, without losing sight of what is in the best interests of patients and users of health and care services. Priorities will include social care reform, improving care for vulnerable older people, and maximising the use of technology.
What would you most like Santa to bring you this year? And what would you like him to take away?
Are letters to Santa FOI-able?!