How credible is UHB’s claim that it purportedly appointed TheValueCircle for their “credibility”, “gravitas” & “value for money”?

Dr Minh Alexander retired consultant psychiatrist 8 June 2023

This is a brief post to share and unpack claims made by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, via an FOI disclosure, about its appointment of the private consultancy TheValueCircle to review its “toxic” culture.

So far, other enquiries about TheValueCircle’s past work in the NHS have revealed steep fees, little evident tangible work product and much secrecy by the NHS bodies which purchased the consultancy’s services. Well Led and governance reviews etc undertaken by TheValueCircle are kept under lock and key by NHS execs:

  UHB controls its culture review, NHS executive secrecy and what value from the “TheValueCircle”? 

This does little to foster a culture of transparency and accountability.

Perhaps it is not surprising that the much-criticised board of UHB might opt to hire such services.

UHB has now disclosed information on the panel which hired TheValueCircle and its criteria for selection.

FOI disclosure by UHB on the panel selection process to appoint TheValueCircle

The panel of seven included four UHB directors, including significantly Fiona Alexander the UHB Director of Comms and former editor of the Birmingham Post. Why would you want the chief spin doctor vetting a contractor for a governance exercise, unless perhaps it was more of a PR exercise?

UHB feel no shame it seems in stating that Fiona Alexander’s role is one of reputational management:

So what is she doing inside an exercise that is purportedly supposed to uncover and reveal the embarrassing truth? A silly question, no doubt.

The disclosed selection panel members: “Dame Yve Buckland, Chair of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS FT Roger Kline, Independent Chair of UHB Culture Review Reference Group Mehrunnisa Lalani, Non-Executive Director and Chair of People and Culture Committee UHB Professor Mike Bewick, Patient Safety Review Lead and report author – identified culture themes to be carried through in to culture review Giles Peel, Patient Safety Reviewer and report contributor – identified culture themes to be carried through in to culture review Cathi Shovlin, Chief People Officer Fiona Alexander, Director of Communications“

There was no staffside representation on the selection panel, so arguably no one with a real interest and commitment was there to ask penetrating questions.

Mike Bewick who was hired by Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board to oversee all of the UHB reviews, and Giles Peel one of his longstanding business associates and regular report co-authors were on the panel.

Interestingly, Bewick and Peel were appointed to the panel a month after all the others.

They were not paid by UHB so the implication is that the ICB was paying for their input.

The trust denied that NHS England was involved in the selection of panel members and maintained that it was solely directed by the trust chair Yve Buckland who both appointed and sat on the panel.

But the appearance of Bewick and his associate Peel on someone else’s tab suggests there was coordination with other bodies and external influence on this process.

Buckland also hired Roger Kline to act as “independent” chair of the panel.

Kline had prior links with UHB.

In response to a question about panel members’ credentials for the task, UHB answered merely:

“Their credentials are evident from the relevance of their role to the culture review.”

A great start to a review of culture when the accused is so arrogant that it cannot even affect a small show of humility.

As for the criteria by which Buckland’s panel selected the contractor to conduct the culture review, these are the disclosed criteria:

The panel’s disclosed selection criteria for the contractor: “1. Experience and credibility in undertaking a high quality culture review of this scale and in our current context 2.     Experience in undertaking culture reviews both within the NHS and wider – important that they understand the NHS but also seek added value in what can be gained from wider sectoral experience 3.     Demonstration of understanding of culture, our organisation, our values and the different stakeholder groups 4.     Demonstration of understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion, and their approach to embedding this through culture review 5.     Approach to the culture review – how they will maximise opportunities to hear all voices and how they will approach engagement and trust-building in our current context 6.     The team – their diversity and ability to reflect our staff, and the gravitas with which they can engender trust and credibility 7.     Scale – their ability to undertake the review in all its complexity and in the depth required within the timeframe 8.     Value for money – price, timescale and any additional services they would include”

So how exactly did Kline et al establish that TheValueCircle had “credibility”, “gravitas” and be “value for money” when there is no work product by the company in the public domain and other organisations jealously guard it with such secrecy?

Does the hiring of TheValueCircle whiff a little of a predetermined decision because of a recommendation/ instruction from on high?

Was a selection criteria missed off the disclosed list: “favoured and tipped by other executives”?

Finally, let us remember that TheValueCircle has friends in high places. Andrew Morris a member of the NHS England board acts as a consultant for them.