Mapping the Gap

In July ICSA produced an paper on the disconnect between governance best practice and the reality of what is seen in the NHS

The opening quote is from Mervyn King, the “brains” and driver behind “King III”  (and I and II), the South African Corporate Governance Code – probably one of the best in the world.  King states

“Good corproate governance is about ‘intellectual honesty’ and not just sticking to the rules and regulations”

This view is mirrored in the UK style of Corporate Governance, that of Comply or Explain within a princpled based system.  This compares to a more US oriented approach of tick boxes with “huge gaps” inbetween which become “unaccountable”.

The Executive summary is an interesting read for all public sector and NFP sector governing body members.  Even though these are framed specifically for the NHS, our experience in the private sector indicates that the issues are not all totally unique to the NHS. 

Therefore the Executive summary of findings, recommendations and conclusions are a worthwhile read for every director – Pages 4 to 6