Present
- Tom Taylor (TT) Chair, NHSCFA
- Andrew Flanagan (AF) Non-Executive Director, NHSCFA
- Gaon Hart (GH) Non-Executive Director, NHSCFA
- Alyson Coates (AC) Non-Executive Director, NHSCFA
- Alex Rothwell (AR) Chief Executive Officer, NHSCFA
- Tricia Morrison (TM) Director of Performance & Improvement, NHSCFA
In Attendance
- Sean Byrne (SB) Deputy Director of Counter Fraud and Sponsor for NHSCFA (DHSC).
- Jane Robinson (JR) Sponsor for NHSCFA (DHSC).
- Ann Sturgess (AS) Head of Corporate Support, NHSCFA
- Bethan Wassell (BW) Corporate Affairs Manager and Board Secretary, NHSCFA
- Josh Samuels (JS) Communications Officer, NHSCFA
- Emily Cole (EC) Governance and Assurance Assistant, NHSCFA (note taker)
Agenda Item Action
Agenda item no.1: Opening Remarks and Reflections on 2023-24
PBOA.24.01.01: The Chair welcomed Members and attendees to the meeting. Apologies were received from the Director of Finance and Corporate Services. No declarations of interest were made.
PBOA.24.01.02: No requests were received from external stakeholders to observe the meeting.
PBOA.24.01.03: The Chair reflected on the previous financial year, highlighting the addition of new staff members to the organisation, which was noted as a positive development. The organisation had not only met, but had outperformed the expectations upon it, demonstrating outstanding performance over the past year. Of particular note, Operation Bukowski had resulted in the longest prison sentence ever secured by the NHSCFA. Additionally, Project Athena had a strong start which was expected to continue into the current financial year. However, the Chair highlighted that upcoming challenges may be anticipated due to a new Government, necessitating the securing of funding for the second year of the project.
PBOA.24.01.04: The Chair also reflected on his tenure with NHSCFA, noting his six years with the organisation. The Chair commended the growth and strength that the organisation had achieved, attributing this success to the dedication of all its people. The organisation had achieved one of the highest returns on investment amongst Departments, a trend the Chair emphasised he hoped would continue.
PBOA.24.01.05: The Chair extended his gratitude to the Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) for their additional efforts amid vacancies and concluded by thanking and congratulating the team for ensuring the Annual Report and Accounts were laid before Parliament recess.
Agenda item no.2: Comments from Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
PBOA.24.02.01: The CEO provided comment on the last financial year, describing it as a solid start to the strategic period. The CEO further noted that although the organisation was now halfway through the second year, the overall financial results have already exceeded expectations.
PBOA.24.02.02: The CEO highlighted the successful implementation of the new operating model and the improvements in corporate governance. Gratitude was extended to the Director of Performance & Improvement and the Director of Finance & Corporate Resources for their efforts in enhancing these areas and maintaining financial stability.
PBOA.24.02.03: The CEO also commended the new integrated planning approach, which had streamlined the collection of performance data, a positive change, which was now successfully reflected in the performance reports.
PBOA.24.02.04: Members noted the highlighted financial target of £138.28 million. The target had been significantly exceeded by £46.32 million, which included prevented fraud to the value of £124.84 million. The new Fraud Hub had proved instrumental in achieving this and had celebrated its first year, marking a milestone of significant achievements - securing an 11-year prison sentence for Operation Bukowski as well substantial percentage gains within secondary care.
PBOA.24.02.05: Regarding Project Athena, the CEO reported that it was progressing well. The organisation now had access to critical data sets, and there was confidence that these would provide the necessary information to generate comprehensive reports. Despite upcoming challenges, the CEO emphasised the importance of forging relationships with the new Government to build on the strong foundations already established.
PBOA.24.02.06: The CEO also highlighted the investment in a more detailed approach to assessing risks and threats across the system. This effort has led to the development of the enterprise risk management framework which will be circulated internally shortly.
PBOA.24.02.07: The CEO extended thanks to the Associate Director of People & Workforce Development for their contributions to the People and Workforce Policy. Their efforts have created numerous training opportunities across the organisation.
PBOA.24.02.08: The CEO concluded by expressing thanks to all Members, including previous Non-Executive Directors, Jayne Scott and Martin Spencer, for their positive contributions during their tenures and finally, to the Chair for their service and hard work in supporting the organisation over the last six years.
PBOA.24.02.09: The Deputy Director of Counter Fraud and Sponsor for NHSCFA expressed their thanks to the Chair and the NEDs for working hard to ensure that the Board and Committees remained quorate.
PBOA. 24.02.10: The Chair concluded the meeting with a final thank you to all the people within the NHSCFA, the success demonstrated by the Annual Reports and Accounts was a direct result of their dedication and commitment to fighting fraud within the NHS. Members concurred and a final thank you was given to Ann Sturgess for her time as Board Secretary, where her expertise and support had proven invaluable.
PBOA. 24.02.11: RESOLVED: that the Public Board meeting of the NHSCFA was held and final reflections were observed for the financial year 2023-24.