The code of conduct for NHS managers: Its value and application

Abstract

In October 2002, the Department of Health published a Code of Conduct for NHS Managers. The Code set out 6 key principles of managerial conduct that were intended to guide managers in their work, to regulate their practice by stating what was required of them, and to reassure the general public about standards in NHS management. This thesis explores the history and development of codes, in so far as they relate to the Code of Conduct for NHS managers, reviews the literature and has, in practice, met the aspirations and aims of its architects. The thesis draws on research carried out by means of semi-structured interviews with members of the Working Group set up to produce the Code and with a range of NHS managers 'in the field'. It also includes a case study carried out to review the practical use of the Code, or other values, to inform a specific decision-making process. The analysis of the research material suggests that the Code has, for the most part, not met the stated aims and aspirations and that there are significant areas in which the process adopted for its production could have been strengthened in the light of best practice from elsewhere. It also reveals concerns about the extent to which the Code reflects the prevailing values in NHS management, particularly in the light of the changes in policy being introduced into the NHS to create a market approach. The conclusions suggest that the forthcoming revision of the Code should herald a different approach with more emphasis on using the opportunity to foster a clearer understanding of the values that inform NHS management and to develop a Code that, either reflects these values, or is unequivocally focussed on a regulatory purpose.