The opportunity

Role of the NHS Board and Chair

NHS boards play a key role in shaping the strategy, vision and purpose of an organisation. They hold the organisation to account for the delivery of strategy and ensure value for money. They are also responsible for assuring that risks to the organisation and the public are managed and mitigated effectively. Led by an independent chair and composed of a mixture of both executive and independent non-executive members, the board has a collective responsibility for the performance of the organisation. The Chair also ensures the Board is focused on improving outcomes in population health and healthcare, and fosters a culture of learning and continuous improvement, with a particular focus on quality, safety, access, patient experience.

The purpose of NHS boards is to govern effectively, and in so doing build patient, public and stakeholder confidence that their health and healthcare is in safe hands. This fundamental accountability to the public and stakeholders is delivered by building confidence:

in the quality and safety of health services
that resources are invested in a way that delivers optimal health outcomes
in the accessibility and responsiveness of health services
that patients and the public can help to shape health services to meet their needs
that public money is spent in a way that is fair, efficient, effective and economic.