How would statutory barring work?
With a statutory barring system, the regulating authority maintains a list of people who have been found unsuitable to practise a particular profession, such as NHS management. This means that it would be illegal for an NHS employer (or possibly other organisations delivering NHS services) to appoint any individual on that list to a management post.
An individual may be barred for committing a criminal offence or serious misconduct. Examples of existing statutory barring mechanisms include the Teaching Regulation Agency (which operates the barring list for teachers) and the Companies House list of disqualified directors.
A statutory barring system for NHS managers would mean the introducing a national code of conduct for managers or leaders, and setting up a new national body with the legal responsibility to consider serious complaints made about individual professionals.
Statutory barring systems are usually taxpayer funded and it would be unlikely to involve any costs for individual managers.
Related Stories
-
Co-production: say it like you mean it
The NHS talks a good game on co-production, but many patients and carers still feel service changes are done ‘to’ them not ‘with’ them. As Jessica Bradley discovers, meaningful co-production means building lasting relationships and sharing decision making power.
-
Holyrood elections: Back from the brink—for more of the same?
After a big scare last year, the SNP are now clear favourites to extend their rule at Holyrood into a third decade, pointing to incremental reform rather than radical change for the NHS in Scotland. Rhys McKenzie reports.
-
Senedd elections: Tough choices, empty promises
As we enter 2026, the NHS in Wales faces some stark choices and a likely change of government. But the parties vying for power at Cardiff Bay will need to up their game to meet the challenges ahead. Craig Ryan reports.
-
Professional regulation: still more questions than answers
After the government unveiled a new barring scheme for board-level executives this summer, plans for regulating NHS managers became a little clearer. But many big questions about how the NHS will regulate, support and develop its future leaders remain unanswered. Rhys McKenzie reports.
-
Government unveils barring scheme for executive-level managers
MiP has welcomed the government’s decision to limit its barring scheme to the most senior NHS managers, but says the proposal is “a small piece of the jigsaw”.
-
MiP responds to government announcement on regulating managers
Regulation is only a small piece of the jigsaw in improving standards says MiP in response to government’s announcement on senior manager regulation.