To understand the needs of patients and the pressures NHS staff face, every Department of Health civil servant will be expected to gain first hand experience of life in health or social care.

A key recommendation in the Francis report was changing the culture of the department to make sure the needs of patients are always the first priority. As an important step, the health secretary wants his staff to lead the way across government, by gaining a personal understanding of life on the front line and using that experience to shape policies that serve patients and their families.