Over half of senior NHS IT leaders say roles should be certified
- 3 January 2020
Some 59% of NHS IT leaders say that top digital leadership roles should require certification.
The poll of CIOs and CCIOs, who are members on the Digital Health Networks professional community, suggests that support is building for the certification of digital leadership roles.
However, a third of respondents (33%), said certification of CCIOs and CIOS should not be made compulsory. While a further 7% said “donāt know”.
The poll was carried out in the aftermath of the news that Peter Knight, the former CIO for Oxford University Hospitals, pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud after lying about his degree.
The poll was carried out on the Digital Health Networks Discourse community platform, with 57 votes cast between 9 and 23 December 2019.
The question of certification has generated a lively and well-informed discussion. Those in favour argued that digital is now so important to healthcare, and with the potential to do significant patient harm, that it should require specialist trained leaders.
While those against compulsory certification raised concerns raised that certification would close the profession, which was already struggling to recruit and retain skilled staff. Several CCIOs pointed out that they were already regulated and certified as doctors, and that being a CCIO was often not their primary job
One leading CCIO, speaking in favour of certification, said: āYou canāt just call yourself a charge nurse or a radiographer, why can you call yourself a CIO/CCIO?.”
This was backed by a CIO who posted: āWhen I see a doctor, a nurse, a solicitor, an accountant, a pilot, a train driver, a gas engineer or a teacher I have a level of confidence in their ability to fulfil their duties because they have achieved and retained a level of professional competence.ā
One CIO member speaking against, however, said: āMaking certification compulsory severely risks limiting the diversity and inclusion opportunity for individuals who have gained capability through experience.ā
Another added: āAs for certification, we are not yet ready for compulsion, but I would like to see us move to that. However, there would first need to be clearer standardisation of the CIO role.ā
To encourage free and open discussion the community operates under the Chatham House Rule, meaning that posts by members may not be directly attributed.
Current and future digital health leaders can sign-up to join Digital Health Networks.
4 Comments
So, how many non-NHS CIO’s are certified ?
okey, they should be better paid, @ least paid as well as middle managers/manageresses, common NHS … IT’s 2020 and to expect others to build the IT and then buy IT in and try to manage IT has not worked and is not eFFICIENT, that approach is not right and is not what is ‘appening in the real world, create NHS technical careers equal to NHS clinical careers – kidZ luv tech !!!
I think this would be limiting in respect of the different angles that can be brought to the role of CIO/CCIO. You might want a more clinically focussed CCIO, but who gets technology and can demonstrate this as part of the recruitment process – to a C level capability. I would expect CIOs or CCIOs to have had spent time in technology leadership/managerial roles in addition to their clinical responsibilities and qualification. There is a difference between someone being guilty of fraud by faking a degree, and someone having years of experience working in a particular field. The UK jobs market is very accepting of experience over qualification. And, sadly, my experience has been that good academic performance does not always equal being at all capable in the real world.
Indeed. There is a world of difference between academic qualifications and putting it in to practice. How many CEO’s have flunked their exams and gone on to build incredible businesses? They may have limited (if any) qualifications but are practical with vision and know how to build, lead and direct an effective team.
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