Interaction between non-executive and executive directors in English National Health Service trust boards: an observational study
dc.contributor.author | Sheaff, WR | |
dc.contributor.author | Endacott, R | |
dc.contributor.author | Jones, R | |
dc.contributor.author | Woodward, V | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2015-10-16T08:44:16Z | |
dc.date.available | 2015-10-16T08:44:16Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2015-10-15 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 1472-6963 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 1472-6963 | |
dc.identifier.other | 470 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/3655 | |
dc.description | Research funded by Burdett Foundation | |
dc.description.abstract |
Background National Health Service (NHS) trusts, which provide the majority of hospital and community health services to the English NHS, are increasingly adopting a ‘public firm’ model with a board consisting of executive directors who are trust employees and external non-executives chosen for their experience in a range of areas such as finance, health care and management. In this paper we compare the non-executive directors’ roles and interests in, and contributions to, NHS trust boards’ governance activities with those of executive directors; and examine non-executive directors’ approach to their role in board meetings. Methods Non-participant observations of three successive trust board meetings in eight NHS trusts (primary care trusts, foundation trusts and self-governing (non-foundation) trusts) in England in 2008–9. The observational data were analysed inductively to yield categories of behaviour reflecting the perlocutionary types of intervention which non-executive directors made in trust meetings. Results The observational data revealed six main perlocutionary types of questioning tactic used by non-executive directors to executive directors: supportive; lesson-seeking; diagnostic; options assessment; strategy seeking; and requesting further work. Non-executive board members’ behaviours in holding the executive team to account at board meetings were variable. Non-executive directors were likely to contribute to finance-related discussions which suggests that they did see financial challenge as a key component of their role. Conclusions The pattern of behaviours was more indicative of an active, strategic approach to governance than of passive monitoring or ‘rubber-stamping’. Nevertheless, additional means of maintaining public accountability of NHS trusts may also be required. | |
dc.format.extent | 1-1 | |
dc.format.medium | Electronic | |
dc.language | en | |
dc.language.iso | en | |
dc.publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC | |
dc.subject | corporate governance | |
dc.subject | clinical governance | |
dc.subject | Non-executive directors | |
dc.subject | Interaction between directors | |
dc.subject | perlocution | |
dc.title | Interaction between non-executive and executive directors in English National Health Service trust boards: an observational study | |
dc.type | journal-article | |
dc.type | Article | |
plymouth.author-url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26471938 | |
plymouth.issue | 1 | |
plymouth.volume | 15 | |
plymouth.publisher-url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/15/470 | |
plymouth.publication-status | Published | |
plymouth.journal | BMC Health Services Research | |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1186/s12913-015-1127-2 | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Faculty of Health | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Faculty of Health/Peninsula Medical School | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Faculty of Health/School of Nursing and Midwifery | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA/UoA03 Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA/UoA20 Social Work and Social Policy | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Research Groups | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Research Groups/FoH - Community and Primary Care | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Research Groups/Institute of Health and Community | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Users by role | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Users by role/Academics | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Users by role/Researchers in ResearchFish submission | |
dc.publisher.place | England | |
dcterms.dateAccepted | 2015-10-15 | |
dc.identifier.eissn | 1472-6963 | |
dc.rights.embargoperiod | No embargo | |
rioxxterms.versionofrecord | 10.1186/s12913-015-1127-2 | |
rioxxterms.licenseref.uri | http://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved | |
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate | 2015-10-15 | |
rioxxterms.type | Journal Article/Review |