The Social Partnership Forum (SPF) offers employers in the NHS the opportunity to get involved and influence the Government's healthcare policies in relation to the workforce.
News from the latest national SPF meeting
At the National SPF 18 April 2013 the Francis Report, Secretary of State’s NHS Technology Challenge, the recent NHS Staff Survey results and the HR transition, were just a few of the issues discussed.
SPF Subgroups
The SPF currently has two subgroups which focus on specific workforce related issues:
Staff Passport Subgroup - this subgroup considers the workforce implications of system reform.
The group is currently engaged on the workforce aspects of a number of policy areas including pricing, procurement, any qualified provider, NHS Pension Scheme access for non-NHS organisations providing NHS clinical services and the New Fair Deal.
Embedding Partnership Working Subgroup - this subgroup works to support, encourage and promote partnership working in the NHS.
Partnership Working in action
Good practice case studies of partnership working are available on the SPF website including:
Developing partnership arrangements between employers and trade unions in clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in Suffolk which details the process used in the establishment of a partnership forum in two CCGs in Suffolk - Ipswich & East Suffolk CCG and West Suffolk CCG.
If you have a similar case study of effective partnership working that you think would be worthwhile showcasing on the SPF website, please email details to the SPF website enquiries email address: webenquiries@socialpartnershipforum.org
Background to the SPF
Meetings
These are chaired by Dr Dan Poulter, Parliamentary Under Secretary State for Health; Christina McAnea (UNISON) is the trade union chair; Dean Royles NHS Employers chair and Charlie Massey (Director General for External Relations) the Department of Health chair. Health Education England and NHS England are also members of the national SPF.
Update from the national SPF meetings
Key comms are published following the bi-monthly national meetings which give a summary of what was discussed in the meetings and actions agreed. These along with other updates from the SPF are available on the SPF website news section.
2012 Partnership Agreement
In February 2012, the chairs of the SPF, including Dean Royles on behalf of NHS Employers, signed a Partnership Agreement which describes partners' shared values and principles for joint working.
Employer representatives involved in the work of the SPF include:
- Dean Royles, Chief Executive, NHS Employers
- Karen Charman, Director of Engagement, NHS Employers
- Ann Macintyre, Director of Workforce, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
- Harry Hayer, Director of Organisation, People and Performance, North Bristol NHS Trust
- Steven Ned, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
- David Farrelly, Director of Workforce and Strategy, East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Andrew Maloney, Director of HR and Governance at Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Raj Bhamber, Director of Organisational Development & Communications at Medway NHS Foundation Trust
- Jacqueline Docherty, Chief Executive, West Middlesex University Hospital
- Simon Whitehouse, Chief Officer NHS South Cheshire CCG and NHS Vale Royal CCG
