GGI supports the new Code of Conduct for Healthcare Managers, launched today (25th January 2012) by the Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM). Working with the Medical Royal Colleges, the RCN and others IHM's new Code of Conduct lays out expected behaviours from those managing healthcare services, and GGI commends all boards to ensure that their own managements have signed up to these.

GGI Chief Executive Andrew Corbett-Nolan said 'Good governance isn't only about structures and systems, it is about ethics and behaviours too. This IHM initiative is essential, and we see no good reason why all NHS boards should not ask their senior teams to sign up to this new Code. Indeed, we see this as a critical element to maintaining the NHS reputation during the coming difficult years'.

IHM's Code covers:

• Managing self: to ensure a consistent and authentic self
• Managing the organisation: providing a framework within which excellence can be delivered and patients/clients will be safe
• Managing people: to build and sustain trust, commitment and engagement between managers and who they manage
• Managing the service: to build, sustain and deliver high quality health and care services

Andrew Corbett-Nolan continued "Healthcare management is seen overseas as a prestige branch of management and so it should be. This Code now gives us a platform upon which boards can build ethically driven, effective organisations that patients and local communities trust. We will be writing to all NHS Chairs in the UK recommending they ensure senior teams sign up to this Code".