Strong governance has always been paramount to effective leadership, particularly within the NHS, but the demands on leaders today are more complex than ever.

Pressures on workforce, finance and patient outcomes sit alongside an increasingly scrutinised public service environment, however, technical expertise and years of management experience, while vital, are not always enough. Formal governance training is becoming essential for those tasked with leading NHS organisations through challenge and change.

With a trust turnover of £650m, 8,000 staff and providing care for 600,000 people across three hospitals, Whitfield has spent two decades in NHS management. Completing 15 years of her career at board level, and the last eight as a chief executive, Whitfield, like many others in leadership roles, identified a gap - she had never undertaken formal training on what it truly meant to be a board director.

Whitfield comments: ‘I had done a great deal of leadership training in my career, but despite sitting on boards for over a decade, I had not done any formal training as to what it means to be a board director. I have always been driven by wanting to do my job to the best of my ability. So, I looked for a programme which would enable me to be the best director I could be.

‘One of the most powerful outcomes of formal governance training is confidence. Undertaking the Chartered Director programme from The Institute of Directors gave me the tools to ask better questions, challenge the status quo and improve decision-making in both my executive and trustee roles. Robust governance can contribute to better outcomes and the organisational benefits of governance training extend far beyond the boardroom.

‘For NHS leaders, this distinction is critical. Boardrooms are often under intense pressure to deliver rapid decisions on matters with profound implications for patient care. Formal training helps leaders slow down, consider alternatives and strengthen governance by ensuring that choices are not rushed or taken purely on gut feel.'

Whitfield continues: ‘Formal grounding in governance creates resilience. It protects organisations from relying too heavily on individuals' experience and ensures that decision-making structures are embedded, transparent and aligned with both statutory and ethical requirements. For the NHS, where accountability to patients and the public is paramount, this shift is invaluable.

‘The Chartered Director programme also helped me reinforced the importance of value-led leadership. It has helped me make better business cases for ethical decisions, ensuring that I always speak up.

‘In a system such as the NHS, the ability to articulate and defend ethical decisions is not just a matter of personal integrity, it is fundamental to maintaining trust between leaders, staff, and the communities we serve.

‘We expect our professionals to be qualified. It is extraordinary that you can be a director without any specific registration or qualification, when the same does not apply for doctors, lawyers, or accountants.

‘More and more, programmes like this should, and will, become a basic requirement for taking on complex and important roles, which shape the organisations that determine our lives today.'

Whitfield concludes: ‘For NHS leaders, this vision could mark a significant cultural shift. Just as clinical colleagues undertake rigorous training and continuous professional development to ensure they remain safe and effective, so too should directors. Formal governance training not only equips leaders with technical knowledge, but also fosters the curiosity, courage, and ethical awareness required to navigate an increasingly complex health system.

‘Governance training has the power to transform leadership from a role defined by experience into one underpinned by skill, knowledge, and accountability. For the NHS, where the stakes are uniquely high, this is not an optional extra, it is an essential part of building resilient organisations and safeguarding the future of public healthcare.'