Greg Dyke and Stuart Hampson take up advisory roles with the NHS

Former director-general of the BBC, Greg Dyke and former chairman of John Lewis, Sir Stuart Hampson are among the health service outsiders that have been brought in to improve leadership in the NHS. Lessons on discipline and motivation are likely to come from Vice-Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, a former Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief of Naval Home Command, who commanded HMS Ocean in the Iraq war.

This move, which mirrors Gordon Brown’s attempt to create a government of all the talents, will also involve contributions from ary Kaplan, a doctor and chief executive of a network of private clinics in the US, and Daniel Goleman, author of the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence.

The appointment of these five men as patrons of a new National Leadership Council is just ahead of their first meeting scheduled for next week. The patrons will receive set fees of £144.62 a meeting. The council has been given the task of driving up standards in the NHS by showing what world-class leadership looks like and trying to develop such skills at every level.

The Leadership Council will also have 25 core members, all with longstanding NHS experience, who will focus on championing five key areas: clinical leadership, encouraging more doctors and nurses to take on executive roles, improving the standard of NHS trust boards, getting the highest quality applicants for all senior jobs, improving “inclusion” to ensure that leaders reflect the community they serve, and identifying the next generation of leaders. 

David Nicholson, the NHS chief executive, who will be chairman of the new council, said that the overhaul was essential to ensuring that the highest standards were achieved.

“Leadership is the vital ingredient that can make all the difference to the quality of care that our patients experience,” he said. “Great leadership, which focuses on improving services for patients, will help transform the NHS.”

Yesterday, Greg Dyke said that his new appointment brought a range of challenges. “This is an exciting initiative at a critical moment. Leadership is at the heart of the NHS,” he said. “I look forward to making a contribution and ensuring that we deliver results that inspire confidence from all within and outside the NHS.”