Managers in NHS to be bound by ethical code

A new ethical code for NHS executives, described as a managerial equivalent of the Hippocratic oath, was published yesterday in an attempt to prevent the manipulation of waiting list figures.

The code of conduct says all managers must "be honest and act with integrity" and make the "care and safety of patients their first concern". Managers must also accept responsibility for their own work and the performance of their employees, Nigel Crisp, the NHS chief executive, said. Any manager who breaks the code will face dismissal and will not be redeployed in the health service.

In a recent survey by the Institute of Healthcare Management one in 12 managers admitted having submitted "an inaccurate report about the progress of their organisation". The research, involving 400 managers, also showed that half of them were too scared to reveal problems in the NHS for fear of recriminations.

Introduction of the new code follows an investigation by the National Audit Office last year, which found waiting lists had been distorted at up to 10 hospitals, meaning longer delays for more than 6,000 patients.