Recommendation BRIS-77: Universities to link medical/nursing schools with management training for all professionals
From Bristol Heart Inquiry — Final Report, published 18 July 2001.
Recommendation
Universities should develop closer links between medical and nursing schools and centres for education and training in health service and public sector management, with a view to enabling all healthcare professionals to learn about management.
Government response
No government response to this recommendation is on the record yet.
Delivery
DHSC and NHS England say in progress (27 February 2026)
Please see Recommendations 48-52 for detail on current leadership development approaches.
The NHS Leadership Academy offers training and development for all healthcare professionals within the NHS and has close links with Universities to deliver training. The course and online opportunities are delivered to multidisciplinary teams and provide the opportunity for all to learn about leadership and management.
The NHS Workforce Plan provides information on role of apprenticeships in training non clinical corporate professionals and portfolio career opportunities for clinicians.
Site note: DHSC and NHS England's own account of progress, supplied to the Thirlwall Inquiry in September 2024 and printed in the Inquiry legal team's Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version dated April 2025, published 27 February 2026). It is not a finding of the Inquiry. Their reviewed extent of implementation reads “Implemented – Ongoing”. Table row: section 6.2 No. 77, PDF page 106-107.
What other bodies have found
In their own words. These do not change the delivery statement above.
Thirlwall Inquiry legal team (15 May 2024)
The Government agreed with this recommendation.
In its January 2002 response, the Department of Health said that the NHS Leadership Centre would be working with medical and nursing schools to ensure management skills were developed within all curricula for healthcare professionals.
Site note: The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team's own notes on implementation, from its Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version of 15 May 2024). The review does not colour its Extent of Implementation cell for this recommendation green; it leaves the cell uncoloured where a recommendation was rejected, where evidence of implementation was insufficient, or where steps had been taken but implementation was not yet complete. Table row: section 6.2 No. 77, PDF page 97.
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- DHSC and NHS England
Delivery statement - Thirlwall Inquiry legal team
Finding