Nick Kituno
@kituno.bsky.social
@hsj.co.uk correspondent | NHS workforce and the North West of England. Views my own.
Mark Bailie*, NHSE non-executive director, not Mark Cubbon.
September 24, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Mark Bailie*, NHSE non-executive director, not Mark Cubbon.
Cubbon: “[...] It is the Churchill quote: ‘If I had more time, I would write you a shorter letter’.
“I think you probably need a shorter letter.”
“I think you probably need a shorter letter.”
September 24, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Cubbon: “[...] It is the Churchill quote: ‘If I had more time, I would write you a shorter letter’.
“I think you probably need a shorter letter.”
“I think you probably need a shorter letter.”
Mark Cubbon, NHSE’s lead for elective care, cancer and diagnostics, said: “The thinking is amazing. The next task is how you synthesise it down to something that is repeatably consumable at every single level [...]”
September 24, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Mark Cubbon, NHSE’s lead for elective care, cancer and diagnostics, said: “The thinking is amazing. The next task is how you synthesise it down to something that is repeatably consumable at every single level [...]”
Dr Dash: “I had a bit of a personal problem with some of the language in here. This one on self-effectiveness [says], ‘keep safe’.
“What does that mean? Does that I mean I walk slowly down the corridor?”
“What does that mean? Does that I mean I walk slowly down the corridor?”
September 24, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Dr Dash: “I had a bit of a personal problem with some of the language in here. This one on self-effectiveness [says], ‘keep safe’.
“What does that mean? Does that I mean I walk slowly down the corridor?”
“What does that mean? Does that I mean I walk slowly down the corridor?”
And with that, Hunt has concluded giving evidence.
January 9, 2025 at 4:46 PM
And with that, Hunt has concluded giving evidence.
Hunt says implementing the medical examiners recommendation was unrelated to the Letby conviction.
He said he implemented it had not been done for some time and Treasury officials were worried about its costs. Guesstimates it cost around £40m per year.
He said he implemented it had not been done for some time and Treasury officials were worried about its costs. Guesstimates it cost around £40m per year.
January 9, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Hunt says implementing the medical examiners recommendation was unrelated to the Letby conviction.
He said he implemented it had not been done for some time and Treasury officials were worried about its costs. Guesstimates it cost around £40m per year.
He said he implemented it had not been done for some time and Treasury officials were worried about its costs. Guesstimates it cost around £40m per year.
Hunt: “That kind of thing tends to get crowded out because they are being kept on such a short leash by their managers in NHS England. I do think that is culturally very bad for the NHS.”
January 9, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Hunt: “That kind of thing tends to get crowded out because they are being kept on such a short leash by their managers in NHS England. I do think that is culturally very bad for the NHS.”
Hunt: “It means they are rushed off their feet. They’re worried about the numbers that they’re going to be giving to NHS England next month.”
January 9, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Hunt: “It means they are rushed off their feet. They’re worried about the numbers that they’re going to be giving to NHS England next month.”
Hunt: “They spend a lot of their time trying to tick boxes to show that they’ve been hitting a particular target in this department or a particular target in that department.“
January 9, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Hunt: “They spend a lot of their time trying to tick boxes to show that they’ve been hitting a particular target in this department or a particular target in that department.“
Hunt: “If you look at what is different about the way the NHS is run [compared to] nearly every other healthcare system in the world, it’s that the CEO of a hospital will be assessed against 100 targets every year.”
January 9, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Hunt: “If you look at what is different about the way the NHS is run [compared to] nearly every other healthcare system in the world, it’s that the CEO of a hospital will be assessed against 100 targets every year.”
Hunt: “There were some big problems in the structure of the NHS that made it difficult to develop a constructive culture that I felt we needed. I think there are too many targets.”
January 9, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Hunt: “There were some big problems in the structure of the NHS that made it difficult to develop a constructive culture that I felt we needed. I think there are too many targets.”
Hunt: “If a doctor makes a mistake, they are worried that if they are open it, they’ll lose their job.
“It’s easier for a hospital to fire a doctor and say, ‘I’m very sorry about what happened, but we had a rotten apple and we got rid of him or her,’ than to change working practice on the ground.”
“It’s easier for a hospital to fire a doctor and say, ‘I’m very sorry about what happened, but we had a rotten apple and we got rid of him or her,’ than to change working practice on the ground.”
January 9, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Hunt: “If a doctor makes a mistake, they are worried that if they are open it, they’ll lose their job.
“It’s easier for a hospital to fire a doctor and say, ‘I’m very sorry about what happened, but we had a rotten apple and we got rid of him or her,’ than to change working practice on the ground.”
“It’s easier for a hospital to fire a doctor and say, ‘I’m very sorry about what happened, but we had a rotten apple and we got rid of him or her,’ than to change working practice on the ground.”
Hunt suggests that inquiry judges should produce a progress report two years on from initial recommendations.
“That might be a way to jolt the system to implement stuff that’s been put in the long grass. I don’t think [trusts] could pull the wool over the eyes of any judge.”
“That might be a way to jolt the system to implement stuff that’s been put in the long grass. I don’t think [trusts] could pull the wool over the eyes of any judge.”
January 9, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Hunt suggests that inquiry judges should produce a progress report two years on from initial recommendations.
“That might be a way to jolt the system to implement stuff that’s been put in the long grass. I don’t think [trusts] could pull the wool over the eyes of any judge.”
“That might be a way to jolt the system to implement stuff that’s been put in the long grass. I don’t think [trusts] could pull the wool over the eyes of any judge.”
Hunt: “There are just so many recommendations now that things just get forgotten or lost.”
January 9, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Hunt: “There are just so many recommendations now that things just get forgotten or lost.”
Hunt: “They might send an email around to everyone and say: ‘You need to be aware of the risk of malicious harm in your work and doing it’.
January 9, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Hunt: “They might send an email around to everyone and say: ‘You need to be aware of the risk of malicious harm in your work and doing it’.