The Thirlwall Inquiry was established in the wake of Lucy Letby's convictions to examine events at the Countess of Chester Hospital and their implications. Although there have been previous inquiries and investigations into failures in hospital governance, one of the three broad areas the Thirlwall Inquiry will investigate is the conduct of those working at the hospital, including the board and managers, and it will explore whether the NHS trust’s culture, management and governance structure and processes contributed to the failure to protect babies.
In this podcast, Alexandra Felix KC speaks to Tom Kark KC about his 2019 review (the Kark Review) of the Fit and Proper Person Test, commissioned by the then Health Secretary Steve Barclay, and its application under Regulation 5 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Having accepted a number of its recommendations, will the Government now go further and accept the recommendation to set up a tribunal with the power to disqualify senior directors in the NHS?
We hope you enjoy the podcast, which can be accessed here.
Alexandra Felix KC
Tom Kark KC