Your assembly

The assembly is the representative body for NHS Employers.

It is now over two years since NHS Employers and our Assembly was established and representatives input has been invaluable. Through attending meetings, responding to consultations, leading negotiations, giving evidence to Pay Review Bodies and the Health Select Committee etc. representatives have helped to ensure that employers are involved in setting the agenda for employment issues and influencing policy decisions.

The first term of office for those who have been supporting us, from the beginning, is due to end in December of this year. This, along with the impact of Commissioning a Patient-led NHS (CPLNHS) and lessons we have learnt over the last two years has led us to a stage where we think it would be a suitable time to review our governance and engagement arrangements including the Assembly.

Looking forward, we are currently considering merging the governance and engagement for NHS Employers and NHS Confederation into a single integrated structure. Initial proposals for consideration include:

• more employer representatives will sit on NHS Confederation Council
• we will keep the Assembly but as a virtual group with a reviewed structure to reflect restructuring of new SHA regions, a smaller pool of representatives and as an involvement channel rather than a representative structure.
• we will phase in the changes so that the current Assembly membership remains engaged.
• we will work on developing regional, multi-disciplinary networks which will develop the strategic agenda and make links across the professions to discuss the impact of the workforce on service delivery as part of the wider policy agenda.
• we are currently also recruiting a team who will support regional networking within the SHA regions.

We have discussed these proposals with existing assembly members and are setting up a reference group to input into the future plans in more detail. If you are interested in being involved contact sharon.roper@nhsemployers.org.