The launch of the NHS Leadership and Management Framework, NHS Staff Standards, and NHS College of Leadership and Management represent one of the most significant developments in NHS leadership for many years. As your RCN Leadership Academy we recognise that this is a positive step forward—but only if it delivers meaningful investment and support, rather than simply introducing another set of expectations on nursing staff.

The ambition behind the Framework is welcome. For too long, leadership development has been inconsistent across organisations, with many nurses moving into leadership and management roles without the time, resources, or structured development they need to succeed. A common framework has the potential to bring greater clarity, consistency, and accountability across the NHS.

Importantly, the Framework recognises that leadership and management matter. We know that effective leadership influences staff experience, retention, organisational culture, and ultimately patient care. The inclusion of leadership within the new NHS Staff Standards sends a strong signal that the quality of line management should not be viewed as optional. It is a fundamental part of creating healthy workplaces where people can thrive.

However, the Framework alone will not transform leadership or deliver the culture shift that is needed. Nursing continues to face considerable workforce pressures, with many staff experiencing high levels of stress, exhaustion, and burnout. 

Nurse leaders are operating under this pressure, managing workforce shortages, rising demand, and constrained budgets. In this context, leadership development cannot be viewed as a ‘nice to have’, or as something to prioritise once pressures ease—it must be recognised as a necessary part of the solution.

This means providing protected time for development, where reflection, learning, and leadership growth are recognised as a core components of leadership roles, rather than as additional work to be fitted in somehow in the face of increasing operational demands. 

This is where the role of the new NHS College of Leadership and Management will be critical. Its stated focus on leadership development, management capability, talent management, and succession planning is encouraging. Equally welcome is the commitment to more accessible development models, including modular learning, local delivery, and practical resources that can reach a broader workforce.

But it is essential that nursing’s contribution is fully recognised within this agenda. Leadership in nursing extends far beyond formal management roles. Every day, nurses lead teams, services, innovation, quality improvement, and patient care across a wide range of settings. Any national framework must acknowledge and value this reality.

Particular attention should be paid to first-line nurse leaders, including ward managers, team leaders, and community nursing leaders. These are the people through which staff most directly experience organisational culture, development opportunities, flexibility, and wellbeing support. 

The real test of all of this, will be the implementation. The Framework has potential to become a genuinely useful developmental tool that supports reflective practice, growth, and career progression, which will strengthen leadership across the NHS. However, without meaningful investment, it risks becoming another compliance exercise adding further pressure without delivering the benefits that staff deserve.

Ultimately, it’s success should not be measured by the number of self-assessments completed or development plans created., It must be reflected in improved staff experience, stronger retention, reduced burnout, and a greater sense among nursing staff that they are supported to develop and thrive throughout their careers. Only then will this new approach deliver the stronger leadership culture that nursing, the NHS, and patients need.