Celebrating International HR Day: The pride of being a CPO in the NHS

Today, Wednesday 20 May marks International HR Day, a moment to reflect on the vital role HR professionals play in shaping workplaces that are fair, supportive, and effective. I have had an amazing career in HR in the NHS, and I know that chief people officers (CPOs) and their teams occupy one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, positions in our health service. Today, I want to celebrate what we can all be proud of as we continue to support the incredible workforce that delivers care to millions every day.

Working in NHS HR is not just a job; it is a vocation rooted in the NHS Constitution's promise of care, compassion, and universal service. CPOs sit at the heart of culture, translating strategy into the lived experience of over 1.5 million staff — influencing everything from recruitment and retention to leadership development, employee relations, and wellbeing. In an organisation facing relentless demand, financial pressures, and societal shifts, we balance operational delivery with the human element, helping ensure our colleagues feel valued, developed, and equipped to provide the best possible patient care.

What makes me most proud is the resilience and ingenuity our profession demonstrates year after year. We have navigated industrial action, post-pandemic recovery, and major policy change while championing compassionate leadership, driving forward equality, diversity and inclusion, and working tirelessly to make the NHS a place where people want to build their careers. That quiet, determined work of strengthening culture, streamlining processes, supporting managers, and advocating for staff, underpins every clinical success and every positive patient story.

Over the last year, there have been notable successes:

• The recruitment of thousands of additional mental health workers ahead of target, supporting the shift towards community-based care and earlier intervention.
• Pay settlements, including acceptance of the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations, have helped stabilise relations after periods of dispute.
• Sustained or improved performance in key NHS Staff Survey measures, including appraisals (at a five-year high in some metrics), compassionate leadership, and line manager support.
• Sustained effort across the People Promise priorities, contributing to a better overall staff experience and reductions in leaver rates.  
• Increased reporting of discrimination, reflecting focused effort to build inclusive cultures and reinforce zero-tolerance approaches to racism, antisemitism, and all forms of prejudice.
• Local innovations in flexible working, wellbeing programmes, and career pathways, delivering tangible benefits such as improved retention in high-pressure roles.
• Continued emphasis on the NHS’s role as an anchor employer, widening participation, supporting career progression and strengthening local communities.
• Greater adoption of digital tools and process improvements, enabling the profession to focus more on strategic people priorities.  
• And, no doubt, hundreds of other initiatives and developments that have improved things for staff in your Trusts and systems.

These achievements have not come easily. Progress demands consistent effort across every dimension, and that's precisely what people teams deliver, in service of everyone they support.  Amid rising demand – record A&E attendances and ongoing service pressures – HR teams have worked creatively to support staffing levels and reduce burnout where possible.

We rightly face criticism and challenge when we don’t get it right and when, despite the best intentions, things go wrong and we know we have areas of work where there is still much to do. But, on International HR Day, let us take pride in our role. We are not backroom functions; we are enablers of the NHS’s greatest asset – its people. We create the conditions for compassionate care by modelling compassionate leadership ourselves. We tackle difficult issues head-on, whether addressing sexual harassment through national charters and local action, improving disciplinary and grievance processes informed by evidence such as the recent HPMA report, advancing equality, or preparing for new employment legislation.

International HR Day is also an opportunity to champion those stepping into their first CPO roles or taking on bigger people leadership responsibilities – showing the strength within teams, the appetite to lead, and the vital role experienced leaders play in nurturing and mentoring the next generation of the profession.

To my fellow CPOs and HR colleagues, we at NHS Employers want to say a heartfelt thank you. Thank you for the vital work you do on our collective behalf, and for the support you have shown as we have transitioned to a new operating model and experienced changes within our own team. We recommit to you our purpose of supporting you through strong networks that listen and share learning, clear and effective communications, and relevant expertise that helps you navigate what comes next. Your expertise, empathy, and determination make a profound difference. Thank you.

The NHS is a better organisation because of you. As we look ahead – with new national workforce plans, technological opportunities, and the ever-present need to attract and retain talent – I remain optimistic. Our profession has never been more capable or more essential. Let us use this day not just to reflect, but to recommit. To empowering our people to lead change, to upholding the values that define the NHS, and to continuing the vital work that supports our colleagues in delivering world-class care.

Here’s to the NHS people profession – proud, purposeful, and ready for whatever comes next.