Delegates included FDA President Leila Kelly, General Secretary Dave Penman, Vice President Beatriz Brown, Executive Committee members Cleo Lunt and Sandra Wilson, and Managers in Partnership (FDA’s joint venture with Unison, representing healthcare managers) Executive Committee member Sajidah Ahmad.
Penman moved one of the FDA’s two motions, Motion 54 on review of the civil service, where he outlined the importance of a review that not only looks at efficiency and delivery, but also covers how to safeguard the core values of the service. The General Secretary told congress: “It it is a permanent civil service that ensures, regardless of political turmoil, that the lights stay on.”
Delegates passed the motion.
The FDA also moved Motion 52 on supporting effective management in the NHS, which called on Congress to back the call to recognise the vital role of NHS managers and invest properly in the leadership and management needed in the health service. Delegate Sajidah Ahmad stressed: “behind every hospital ward, community service and major NHS programme, are people making sure those services function.”
This motion was also passed by delegates.
FDA President Leila Kelly moved the FDA’s amendment on Motion 31a from Prospect, on defending regulators and opposing deregulation, with the FDA expanding the motion to include the call for an an evidence-led approach to regulation and standards across the economy. Kelly stated: “it’s not that we cannot afford regulation, it’s that we cannot afford not to have it.”
The amendment was accepted by delegates and the motion passed.
FDA Executive Committee member Cleo Lunt moved the FDA’s amendment to Motion 46 from Society of Radiographers, on accountability and safe contracting in the NHS, which expanded the motion to ensure that NHS organisations have the management capacity and capability to support effective governance.
Lunt told delegates that, “managers also need to be supported in order to do that job properly. We can’t just move the onus from the employer to the individual manager. Everybody needs to be fully supported and have the tools they need to do this difficult work in the best way possible.”
The motion, including the FDA’s amendment, was passed by delegates.
Yesterday, FDA staff and reps attended the 2026 Fast Stream annual Base Camp, welcoming this year’s new joiners to the scheme and sharing the benefits of FDA membership with them.
The FDA’s National Officer for Northern Ireland Robert Murtagh has written to Speaker of the Assembly, Edwin Poots, asking him to remind MLAs that when officials appear before the Assembly, impartiality must not be brought into question.
If Prime Minister Andy Burnham wants a different political culture, he needs to start with the Ministerial Code says Dave Penman.
