Ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to this meeting in public of the board of NHS England.
Before I formally open the meeting perhaps I might make some preliminary comments.
The first is to say that this is something that we established right from the beginning:
this commitment to holding our meetings under the public gaze.
So I would particularly like this morning to welcome those members of the public who
have joined us here in Leeds, but as you know also the entire meeting will be live webcast,
and viewing figures, I think, are rising rapidly across the country for this event.
It is absolutely critical, I believe, that the population of England are entitled to
see how formal decisions are made within the NHS as to the provision of healthcare across
the country.
But secondly to emphasise that we meet in public; it is not a public meeting, this is
a formal business meeting of the board.
But we also do our business in other ways.
We spent yesterday, for example, in a series of informal development seminars, with all
members of the Board working through some quite complex issues which will become formal
business of the Board in the future.
We had a good session about research and innovation; another session about changes to the European
framework for competition law; and other sessions thinking about our business planning for the
coming year.
Secondly, after this meeting, we will resolve to go into private business, in which we deal
with confidential matters and with business that is still in the development stage.
But I do insist that no matter goes on the private agenda of the board unless there is
an explanation as to why it should not be conducted in public, and the presumption always
is that public is where the true business of the board is undertaken.
I would also like to mention that on the first two days of this week, on Monday and Tuesday,
NHS England for the first time hosted the expo 2014 around innovation.
It was a fantastic event in Manchester.
The figures of those who attended were in excess of 5,000.
There was a range of events from plenary lectures to small group discussions, to a pop-up university,
to stalls.
And to those of us who were really privileged enough to attend it, a real sense of And to
those of us who were really privileged enough to attend it, a real sense of innovation and
excitement within the NHS, and an appetite for change and for combining the forces of
research, of innovation and of the opportunities that this presents for creating change within
the NHS, and also jobs across the broader economy.
And I would like to pay particular tribute to Tim Kelsey and to his team for the exceptional
effort that went into that and to congratulate them on the success of the expo.
I would also this morning like to welcome Sir Cyril Chantler, who will join us at the
table for part of the business when he will report from the Clinical Risk Committee.
He is sitting with us in the front row of the meeting today.
So much, then, for preliminary business; let me then turn please to the formal opening
of the meeting.
I need first to invite any members of the Board to declare any interest they may have
in the matters on the agenda.
Are there any declarations of interest?
Okay, thank you very much.
Sorry, apologies Chair, there is one [inaudible] health services, and if we can talk about
how [inaudible].
Yes.
Tony points – provides mental health services.
Thank you.
We note the declaration of interest.
I have apologies for absence from Bill McCarthy and papers that have been prepared under his
name will be presented by his colleagues at this morning's meeting.
And then to note that there is no fire alarm test due during the meeting.
If the alarm does sound, then our colleagues will escort us all safely off the premises.
Finally, I have two items of other business that I would like to bring in at the end of
the meeting.
And on that note, may we proceed please to the substantive business of the meeting.
First, to take the minutes of the previous meeting, 24th January, may I ask Board members
if they have any comments on the minutes?
You are happy to accept them as an accurate record?
Thank you.
Any matters arising, I have none that have drawn to my attention that are not elsewhere
on the agenda.
We have an action list detailing the status of each action and we are satisfied that steps
have been taken.
Let me then turn to item three.
Pause, Tim.
Tim Kelsey: Paul's just pointed out that we did make one change in the notes, which is
the misspelling of the word pseudonymisation.
Malcolm Grant: Okay, thank you.
That will be noted and the amendment will be made to the minutes accordingly.
Okay.