Can Cross-Sector Expertise Help Drive NHS Reform?

Can Cross-Sector Expertise Help Drive NHS Reform

As the NHS faces unprecedented changes, it's crucial to consider how cross-sector pollination could provide a wealth of new skills and perspectives, particularly in areas such as corporate services and social care.

The NHS is at a pivotal point in its evolution. With reforms focused on digitalisation, enhancing community services, and promoting prevention, the health service is primed for transformation. However, the success of these initiatives will largely depend on the quality and adaptability of its workforce. As we look ahead, it’s worth asking: why limit recruitment to within the NHS? There are talented professionals in other sectors who could help drive the change needed for the NHS to thrive in the future. At Tile Hill, we pride ourselves on recruiting talent across a wide range of sectors, enabling organisations to access the best candidates regardless of industry boundaries.

Other sectors that have lived through reform

A prime example of where cross-sector expertise could prove invaluable is the austerity measures of 2010. During that period, local authorities and other public services were required to continue delivering high-quality services on significantly reduced budgets with increasing levels of demand and cost of delivery. Professionals in finance, HR, strategy, and social care successfully navigated these challenges, honing skills in efficiency, innovation, and strategic thinking. These are precisely the types of skills that could benefit the NHS as it navigates its own period of reform.

I believe it’s now time for the NHS to look beyond the traditional recruitment pools. Talented professionals from sectors like central government, local government, charities, and some commercial sectors bring a fresh perspective. Their experience in delivering community services and working in resource-constrained environments offers a valuable view through which to approach the NHS’s upcoming transformation. By encouraging people to move between all sectors, we can foster innovation and drive more effective solutions across the system.

Learn from other people’s mistakes

You can never replace the deep-rooted sector experience and knowledge that is already established in the NHS, so it's important not to overlook the existing talent, but equally important not to restrict ourselves to the same candidates when filling new roles. With so many changes ahead, bringing in professionals from different sectors could help diversify thinking and drive transformation at a much faster pace with fewer mistakes along the way. We should be asking how the experience gained in one part of the public sector could be leveraged to improve another.

In essence, the NHS needs to widen the search beyond the existing NHS talent pool. If we continue to recruit solely from within the health sector, we risk limiting the scope of innovation and failing to capitalise on the wealth of experience available in other industries. By adopting an open-minded approach and exploring different talent pools, the NHS can access the fresh thinking and expertise needed to tackle its current challenges and prepare for the future.

Despite repeated conversations with CEOs and CPOs who express a desire for this cross-sector pollination, there still seem to be barriers preventing it from becoming a reality. What are these barriers, and how can we overcome them?

At Tile Hill we invite you to join the conversation and share your views. Get in touch with me at helen.marshall@tile-hill.co.uk and let’s explore how we can collectively drive meaningful change across sectors.