The Board structure and operation is aligned with recognised best practice in terms of governance and accountability. The Board also ensures proper governance arrangements are in place to facilitate the delivery of objectives which take into account good practice outlined in Corporate Governance Code for central government departments.
Non-executive directors are appointed by the Secretary of State for a fixed term. Executive directors have NHSCFA contracts of employment. Other than statutory requirements and other normal pay provisions, there are no contractual clauses or other agreements for compensation in the event of early termination of office.
Emoluments of Board Members
Remuneration figures for all directors in post, past and present during 2025 to 2026 are detailed in the tables below. These identify the salary, other payments and allowances and pension benefits applicable to both Executive and Non-Executive Directors.
| Name and title | Salary (bands of £5,000) £000 |
Non-cash benefits (nearest £100) £00 |
Performance pay and bonuses (bands of £5,000) £000 |
All
pension related benefits (nearest £1,000) £000 |
Total (bands of £5,000) £000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linda Pollard2 Non-Executive Director and Board Chair |
0 –
5 (10 – 15)1 |
– | – | – | 0 –
5 (10 – 15)1 |
| Gaon Hart3 Non-Executive Director and Interim Chair |
10 – 15 | – | – | – | 10 – 15 |
| Andrew Flanagan4 Non-Executive Director and ARAC Chair |
5 –
10 (10 – 15)1 |
– | – | – | 5 –
10 (10 – 15)1 |
| Jon Hayes5 Non-Executive Director and ARAC Chair |
10 – 15 | – | – | – | 10 – 15 |
| Alyson Coates Non-Executive Director and PREMCO Chair |
5 – 10 | – | – | – | 5 – 10 |
| Angela Dragone Non-Executive Director |
5 – 10 | – | – | – | 5 – 10 |
| Alex Rothwell Chief Executive Officer |
140 – 145 | – | 5 – 10 | 35 | 185 – 190 |
| Matthew Jordan-Boyd Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Resources |
125 – 130 | – | – | 4 | 130 – 135 |
| Tricia Morrison Executive Director of Strategy, Operations and Data Analytics |
120 – 125 | – | – | 34 | 155 – 160 |
1 Annual equivalent, 2 Assumed role of Chair Aug – Nov 2025, 3 Assumed role of interim Chair Apr – Jul and Nov 2025 onwards, 4 Left CFA Nov 2025, 5 Assumed role of ARAC Chair Oct 2025
| Name and title | Salary (bands of £5,000) £000 |
Non-cash
benefits (nearest £100) £00 |
Performance pay
and bonuses (bands of £5,000) £000 |
All pension
related benefits (nearest £1,000) £000 |
Total (bands of £5,000) £000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Taylor2 Chair |
10 – 15 | – | – | – | 10 – 15 |
| Gaon Hart3 Non-Executive Director and Interim Chair |
5 – 10 (10 – 15)1 |
– | – | – | 5 – 10 (10 – 15)1 |
| Andrew Flanagan Non-Executive Director and ARAC Chair |
10 – 15 | – | – | – | 10 – 15 |
| Angela Dragone4 Non-Executive Director |
0 – 5 (5 – 10)1 |
– | – | – | 0 – 5 (5 – 10)1 |
| Jon Hayes5 Non-Executive Director |
0 – 5 (5 – 10)1 |
– | – | – | 0 – 5 (5 – 10)1 |
| Alyson Coates Non-Executive Director |
5 – 10 | – | – | – | 5 – 10 |
| Alex Rothwell Chief Executive Officer |
135 – 140 | – | – | 36 | 170 – 175 |
| Matthew Jordan-Boyd Director of Finance and Corporate Resources |
120 – 125 | – | – | 0 | 120 – 125 |
| Tricia Morrison Director of Performance and Improvement |
110 – 115 | – | – | 30 | 140 – 145 |
1 Annual equivalent, 2 End of fixed term contract 31/12/2024, 3 Assumed role of Interim Chair 01/01/2025, 4 Joined NHSCFA 01/01/2025, 5 Joined NHSCFA 01/02/2025
Fair pay disclosure
The Authority discloses the relationship between the remuneration of the highest-paid director in their organisation and the lower quartile, median and upper quartile remuneration of the organisation's workforce.
| Balances | 2025 to 2026 | 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Band of highest paid director's total remuneration (£000) | 150 – 155 | 135 – 140 |
| Median total (£) | 50,793 | 53,329 |
| Remuneration ratio | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Total Salary and allowances | 2025 to 2026 | 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Average | -4.8% | 5.4% |
| Highest Paid Director | 8.3% | 15.4% |
| Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 to 2026 | 3.7: 1 | 3.0: 1 | 2.4: 1 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 3.3: 1 | 2.6: 1 | 2.3: 1 |
| Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 to 2026 | 2024 to 2025 | 2025 to 2026 | 2024 to 2025 | 2025 to 2026 | 2024 to 2025 | |
| Salary | 41,343 | 41,838 | 50,793 | 53,329 | 63,176 | 60,992 |
| Total Pay and Benefits | 41,343 | 41,838 | 50,793 | 53,329 | 63,176 | 60,992 |
The banded remuneration of the highest paid director in the financial year 2025 to 2026 was £150,000 – £155,000. This was 3.0 times the median remuneration of the workforce, which was £50,793. In comparison, the remuneration of the highest paid director in the financial year 2024 to 2025 was £135,000 – £140,000. This was 2.6 times the median remuneration of the workforce, which was £53,329.
Performance-related pay was awarded to the highest paid director in 2025 to 2026 (2024 to 2025: nil), reflecting stronger delivery against agreed corporate objectives under the organisation's performance framework. No performance-related pay or bonuses are payable to other employees, and this position remains unchanged from the prior year.
The impact of the Very Senior Manager and Agenda for Change pay awards are reflected in the above tables. The reduction in median salary relates to changes in workforce mix and organisational structure during the financial year.
The range of staff remuneration in 2025 to 2026 was £25,000 – £30,000 to £150,000 – £155,000. Compared to the range of £25,000 – £30,000 to £135,000 – £140,000 for 2024 to 2025.
In 2025 to 2026, no employees received remuneration in excess of the highest paid director.
Total remuneration includes salary, non-consolidated performance related pay and benefits in kind. It does not include severance payments, employer pension contributions and the cash equivalent transfer value of pensions.
Pension benefits
The table below sets out the pension benefits of the Chief Executive Officer and senior managers of the NHSCFA.
| Name | Title | Real
increase in pension at pension age (bands of £2500) |
Real
increase in pension lump sum at pension age (bands of £2500) |
Total accrued
pension at pension age at 31 March 2026 (bands of £5000) |
Lump sum at age 60 related to accrued pension at 31 March 2026 (bands of £5000) |
Cash
equivalent transfer value at 31 March 2026 (£000) |
Cash
equivalent transfer value at 31 March 2025 (£000) |
Real increase
in Cash equivalent transfer value (£000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Rothwell | Chief Executive Officer | 2.5 – 5 | 0 – 2.5 | 10 – 15 | 0 – 5 | 161 | 118 | 24 |
| Matthew Jordan-Boyd | Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Resources | 0 – 2.5 | 0 – 2.5 | 30 – 35 | 70 – 75 | 629 | 604 | 1 |
| Tricia Morrison | Director of Performance | 0 – 2.5 | 0 – 2.5 | 10 – 15 | 0 – 5 | 234 | 189 | 26 |
Accrued pension benefits included in this table for any individual affected by the public service pensions remedy have been calculated based on their inclusion in the legacy scheme for the period between 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022, following the McCloud judgment.
Cash equivalent transfer value
A cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) is the actuarially assessed capital value of the pension scheme benefits accrued by a member at a particular point in time. The benefits valued are the members accrued benefits and any contingent spouse's pension payable from the scheme.
A CETV is a payment made by a pension scheme, or arrangement to secure pension benefits in another pension scheme, or arrangement when the member leaves a scheme, and chooses to transfer the benefit accrued in the former scheme. The pension figures shown relate to the benefits that the individual has accrued as a consequence of their total membership of the pension scheme, not just their service in a senior capacity to which disclosure applies.
The CETV figure and the other pension details include the value of any pension benefits in another scheme or arrangement which the individual has transferred to the NHS pension scheme. They also include any additional pension benefit accrued to the member as a result of their purchasing additional years of pension service in the scheme at their own cost. CETV are calculated within the guidelines and framework prescribed by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
Real increase in CETV
This reflects the increase in CETV effectively funded by the employer. It takes account of the increase in accrued pension due to inflation, contributions paid by the employee (including the value of any benefits transferred from another scheme or arrangement) and uses common market valuation factors for the start and end of period.
Staff numbers and costs
| Total 2025 to
2026 £'000 |
Permanently
employed £'000 |
Other £'000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries and wages | 12,059 | 12,002 | 57 |
| Social security costs | 1,598 | 1,598 | – |
| Employer contributions to NHS Pensions | 2,490 | 2,490 | – |
| Other pension costs | – | – | – |
| Apprenticeship levy | 44 | 44 | – |
| Total | 16,191 | 16,134 | 57 |
| Recoveries in respect of secondments | -43 | -43 | – |
| Capitalised staff costs | -116 | -116 | – |
| Total | 16,032 | 15,975 | 57 |
| Total | Permanently employed | Other |
|---|---|---|
| 231 | 229 | 2 |
The Authority capitalised two whole time equivalents (WTE) during 2025 to 2026. All capitalised staff costs relate to internally developed IT software.
2024 to 2025 comparison
| Total 2024 to
2025 £'000 |
Permanently
employed £'000 |
Other £'000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries and wages | 10,891 | 10,462 | 429 |
| Social security costs | 1,173 | 1,173 | – |
| Employer contributions to NHS Pensions | 2,155 | 2,155 | – |
| Other pension costs | 0 | 0 | – |
| Apprenticeship levy | 36 | 36 | – |
| Total | 14,255 | 13,826 | 429 |
| Recoveries in respect of secondments | -86 | -86 | – |
| Capitalised staff costs | -108 | -108 | – |
| Total | 14,061 | 13,632 | 429 |
| Total | Permanently employed | Other |
|---|---|---|
| 215 | 179 | 36 |
In comparison the Authority capitalised two whole time equivalents (WTE) during 2024 to 2025. All capitalised staff costs relate to internally developed IT software.
Gender balance
| Pay bands | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Bands 3 – 6 | 29 | 39 |
| Bands 7 – 8a | 76 | 47 |
| Bands 8b – 8c | 18 | 10 |
| Band 8d | 1 | 2 |
| Band 9 | 1 | 1 |
| Director | 1 | 0 |
| Other – associate specialist | 1 | 0 |
| Board Members | 2 | 2 |
Employee sickness
Employee sickness is based on data provided from the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Data Warehouse and covers the period January 2025 to December 2025. ESR does not hold details of normal number of days worked by each employee. Data on days available and days recorded sick are based on a 365 day year. Average annual sick days per full-time equivalent (FTE) has been estimated by dividing the estimated number of FTE days sick by the average FTE and multiplying by 225 (the typical number of working days per year).
| Average
FTE 2025 |
Adjusted FTE days lost to Cabinet Office definitions |
FTE-days available |
FTE-days lost to sickness absence |
Average
sick days FTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 219 | 1,433 | 79,922 | 2,325 | 6.5 |
Staff turnover
Staff turnover during 2025 to 2026 was an average of 9.4% (2024 to 2025 – 10.1%).
Workforce recruitment, engagement and planning
We have implemented the final year of the People Strategy during 2025 to 2026. This has included continuing to provide a responsive and proactive HR advisory service. During the year nine HR policies and processes that underpin a best practice approach have been reviewed, updated and implemented, including input from the recognised union. Lessons learnt from issues raise are also considered as part of this process and we continue to operate under Agenda for Change terms and conditions. Each policy review includes an equality impact assessment.
Our recruitment support continues to be administered by the NHSBSA in line with the Disability Confident scheme whereby candidates who have chosen to opt into the scheme who meet the essential criteria of a job description at shortlisting stage are invited to interview. All shortlisted candidates are asked if they require reasonable adjustments for selection interviews and successful candidates are asked to complete an occupational health questionnaire to help identify any reasonable adjustments that may be required to support their employment.
The overall staff engagement score following our annual survey was 83% a 1% increase on the previous year. Staff joining the organisation have been invited to face to face inductions that complement their function based induction led by their line managers. We implemented a staff recognition awards scheme for length of service and for teams in demonstrating our organisational values within an all staff day focused on recognition of our collective achievements in delivering the Strategy.
We continue to develop our workforce and during the year delivered leadership and management training, including a series on leading with purpose through change. In addition, we supported the development of job related skills development through a range of opportunities that were prioritised and assessed as a result of the appraisal process. Organisation-wide initiatives were also rolled to on risk management training, cyber security counter fraud awareness. Additionally, we have redeveloped the appraisal process, running workshops and a pilot. This is ready to roll out and is supported by tools within our online learning platform that streamline and improve the process ready for the 2026 to 2027. We also started a project to carry out an organisation wide skills audit that it expected to complete in 2026 to 2027.
During the year we published our public sector equality duty objectives and published an equality diversity and inclusion policy and increased the richness of our data in this area through our staff survey whereby staff were invited to share data on their protected characteristics in responding so that we could understand better their differing experiences in the workplace to inform work to address any disparities.
Expenditure on temporary staff
The total contingent labour expenditure on temporary staff incurred on the provision of operating services was £57,000, compared to £429,000 in 2024 to 2025.
The Authority had no consultancy expenditure in 2025 to 2026 (2024 to 2025 nil).
The Authority did not capitalise any costs relating to contingent labour or consultancy in 2025 to 2026 (2024 to 2025 nil).
Off-payroll engagements
| Number of engagements | |
|---|---|
| Number of existing engagements as of 31 March 2026 | 2 |
| Of which... | |
| Number that have existed for less than one year at time of reporting | 1 |
| Number that have existed for between one and two years at time of reporting | 1 |
| Number that have existed for between two and three years at time of reporting | – |
| Number that have existed for between three and four years at time of reporting | – |
| Number that have existed for four or more years at time of reporting | – |
| Number of engagements | |
|---|---|
| Number of temporary off-payroll workers engaged during the year ended 31 March 2026 | 3 |
| Of which... | |
| Not subject to off-payroll legislation | – |
| Subject to off-payroll legislation and determined as in-scope of IR35 | 3 |
| Subject to off-payroll legislation and determined as out-of-scope of IR35 | – |
| No. of engagements reassessed for compliance or assurance purposes during the year | – |
| Of which: no. of engagements that saw a change to IR35 status following review | – |
| Number of engagements | |
|---|---|
| Number of off-payroll engagements of board members, and/or, senior officials with significant financial responsibility, during the financial year | – |
| Total number of individuals on payroll and off-payroll that have been deemed "Board members, and/or, senior officials with significant financial responsibility", during the financial year. This figure should include both on payroll and off-payroll engagements | 9 |
Exit packages (subject to audit)
There were no packages agreed or special severance payments made in 2025 to 2026 (2024 to 2025 nil)
Health and Safety
Health and safety incidents within NHSCFA are recorded and managed through the workplace SHE (Safety, Health and Environment) App. This digital platform supports the timely reporting, monitoring and management of health and safety issues across the organisation.
During the year, two health and safety incidents were reported. Neither met the threshold for reporting under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), and both were managed internally in line with established procedures.
NHSCFA maintains a suite of health and safety policies and guidance, which are accessible to all staff and subject to regular review. Updates are implemented in response to alerts and guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive, ensuring ongoing compliance with statutory requirements and best practice.
The annual organisational risk assessment identified the need for manual handling training for all staff. In response, a mandatory training module will be introduced from April 2026.
Throughout the year, the Workplace Team conducted regular site visits to each of NHSCFA's three office locations. These visits included reinforcement of compliance with the TagEvac fire evacuation safety training programme, providing ongoing assurance over fire safety arrangements.
To promote accessibility and engagement, the Workplace Team facilitated staff drop in sessions during site visits, offering employees the opportunity to raise workplace related queries or concerns directly. Complementary virtual drop in sessions were also delivered to support home based staff, while remaining open to all employees.
These virtual sessions were supplemented by presentations on key topics, including sustainability awareness and winter safety. Collectively, these activities support staff awareness of health and safety responsibilities and provide assurance that workplace, estates and sustainability matters are actively managed across the organisation.