Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26471938›Full record

Observational studyBMC health services research2015

Interaction between non-executive and executive directors in English National Health Service trust boards: an observational study.

Rod Sheaff, Ruth Endacott, Ray Jones, Val Woodward

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC health services research, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Rod SheaffSchool of Government, Plymouth University, Portland Villas, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK. r.sheaff@plymouth.ac.uk.
Ruth EndacottSchool of Nursing & Midwifery, Plymouth University, Portland Villas, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK. ruth.endacott@plymouth.ac.uk.
Ray JonesSchool of Nursing & Midwifery, Plymouth University, Portland Villas, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK. ray.jones@plymouth.ac.uk.
Val WoodwardSchool of Nursing & Midwifery, Plymouth University, Portland Villas, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK. vawoodward@btinternet.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNational Health Service (NHS) trusts, which provide the majority of hospital and community health services to the English NHS, are increasingly adopting a 'public firm' model with a board consisting of executive directors who are trust employees and external non-executives chosen for their experience in a range of areas such as finance, health care and management. In this paper we compare the non-executive directors' roles and interests in, and contributions to, NHS trust boards' governance activities with those of executive directors; and examine non-executive directors' approach to their role in board meetings.

methodsNon-participant observations of three successive trust board meetings in eight NHS trusts (primary care trusts, foundation trusts and self-governing (non-foundation) trusts) in England in 2008-9. The observational data were analysed inductively to yield categories of behaviour reflecting the perlocutionary types of intervention which non-executive directors made in trust meetings.

resultsThe observational data revealed six main perlocutionary types of questioning tactic used by non-executive directors to executive directors: supportive; lesson-seeking; diagnostic; options assessment; strategy seeking; and requesting further work. Non-executive board members' behaviours in holding the executive team to account at board meetings were variable. Non-executive directors were likely to contribute to finance-related discussions which suggests that they did see financial challenge as a key component of their role.

conclusionsThe pattern of behaviours was more indicative of an active, strategic approach to governance than of passive monitoring or 'rubber-stamping'. Nevertheless, additional means of maintaining public accountability of NHS trusts may also be required.

Indexed as

Administrative PersonnelCommunicationGoverning BoardInterprofessional RelationsState MedicineTrustEnglandFoundationsHumansSocial Responsibility

Identifiers

PMID26471938
PMCPMC4608305

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.