Governance of NHS endowment funds: review report

Appendix 4

Timeline

This appendix sets out an illustrative timeline, to give a sense of the potential transition period involved in implementing the recommendations of this Review.

It takes a timeframe based on quarters, to indicate the potential focus of work in a future transition period ahead.

Q1 in Year 1 should not be taken to mean a January to March period, but rather whichever quarter falls when the legislative changes are passed by the Scottish Parliament.

15 months – Preparation phase

Q1

• Legislative changes passed in an Act
• Act contains future Implementation Date in Year 2.
• Recruitment process for 16 new Chairs is developed. Adverts go live.
• Chair interview process gets underway and completes, with a forward appointment date to match the Implementation Date.

Q2

• Commence recruitment process for new non-Health Board trustees.

Q3/Q4/Q1

• Health Board considers nominations for the minority Health-Board appointed trustee roles

Minimum 3 months – Transition phase

'Observer period'

• Chairs-elect have been identified.
• Health-Board appointed trustee candidates have been identified.
• Non Health board-appointed trustee candidates have been identified.
• Health Boards liaise with Chairs-elect and trustees-elect, to invite attendance at NHS-linked charity board meetings to facilitate effective handover and transition planning.

Implementation phase

1^st April

• Implementation Date of Act falls in this period. It would be helpful if this were a 1^st April date to reflect the accounting period of the NHS-linked charities.
• Appointment of new Chair and trustees of an NHS-linked charity takes effect on the Implementation Date.
• The role of the NHS Health Board as corporate trustee ends at the Implementation Date.
• NHS-linked charity sets-up Charity Liaison Group to support future collaboration and communications between the NHS-linked Charity and the Health Board.

Thereafter

• Contractual matters between NHS-linked charity and Health Board are finalised.
• Charity Liaison Group is meeting on a scheduled basis.

A national shared forum, involving representatives from all 16 NHS-linked Charities, meets regularly to work on various future operational and transition arrangements.