We will no longer tolerate ‘negative behaviours’, pledges ICB

An integrated care board has apologised to staff and pledged to no longer tolerate a range of “negative behaviours” identified by a report into the organisation’s culture. 

The report into management behaviour at Kent and Medway ICB, obtained by HSJ, reveals staff were reluctant to speak up due to the “perceived futility or fear of consequences”. Executives were perceived as “defensive, remote, and closed-off” by staff, while poor behaviour often remained “unaddressed” or was met with “a lack of action”.

The report added this had led to “colleagues avoiding direct challenge and relying on processes such as the [Freedom to Speak Up] Guardian, even when these methods are not appropriate or best suited to addressing these issues”. 

The ICB commissioned consultancies Kaleidoscope Health and Care and Absolute Diversity to conduct a joint review last November, following concerns expressed in internal staff surveys and FTSU Guardian reports. These included “differential and poorer” work experience for staff with a protected characteristic and low morale.

The report identified “a number of significant and widespread cultural challenges”. These included:

• A “loss of civility” in parts of the organisation, particularly between some staff and executives;
• Senior leaders of band 8 and above felt “disempowered, deskilled and devalued by executives, with excessive decision escalation and micromanagement hindering their ability”; and
• Executive team members “publicly disagreed with and undermined collective decisions”, leading to inconsistent briefing of teams on executive decisions.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 5 August 2025