Rose to advise Westminster on failing hospitals

Former Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose is to advise the UK government on how to turn around failing hospitals in England.

The veteran retailer will also examine how the NHS can recruit talent from inside and outside the organisation.

Through a series of hospital visits, Rose will see at first hand the challenges facing doctors, nurses and management boards. He will provide advice in an unpaid capacity until the end of the year, when he will submit a short report to the Department of Health.

UK health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “The difference between good and bad care can often lie in leadership, which is why I am delighted that one of the country’s most inspirational leaders has agreed to advise me on how we can attract and retain the brightest and best managers into the NHS so we transform the culture in under-performing hospitals.”