Recommendation 12

In May 2020, the new governance arrangements for NHSX had not been finalised.19 We received written evidence from NHS Providers, which told us that national governance and oversight arrangements remained fragmented and ambiguous, with many trust leaders still unsure where responsibilities sat between NHSX, NHS Digital and NHSE&I.20 The Department, NHSX and NHS Digital admitted that there were still tensions in the governance model, a lack of clarity over the roles of NHSX and NHS Digital, and overlaps in work. NHS Digital told us that it had started working with NHSX to clarify where the boundary between the two organisations should sit, although it said the work has become less of a priority while it dealt with the COVID-19 outbreak. It told us that the new Chair of NHS Digital was due to take their post within the next few months and would review the approach that had been taken to digital transformation, including the operating models being used across NHS Digital, NHSX and NHSE&I.21