Today’s Must Read Published today in Roy Lilley’s influential NHSManagers.net newsletter (by free subscription, click on link) is Paul Harper’s commentary on the appointment of TSA Chair Andrew Gardner. Mr Harper’s view is informed by considerable experience in the UK health services concentrating on telehealth and telemedicine. His key point is that an ‘independent chair’ should be exactly that. Moreover, standards of public governance should apply (the Nolan Principles of Public Life), as these private companies are largely doing public sector business. Your Editor will let Mr Harper state the rest; a PDF of his article is attached.
In the US, where your Editor is from, it is commonplace to have an association chair from ‘inside the industry’ whether healthcare or in other areas where I’ve worked, such as travel services. This is seen as necessary industry/supplier representation and is usually balanced by a strong permanent, full time/contract staff and often other, usually emeriti industry figures on the board. There is also another critical US difference; the healthcare market is still mainly private with a strong public (VA, DOD, state Medicaid, Medicare, Indian Health Services) aspect. Both are important to appreciate for our non-UK readers as to why this debate is resonating there, but would be met with a shrug here. (In this Editor’s view, the US badly needs adoption in both private and public sectors of the Nolan Principles, fast.)
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