Steve is a public law specialist with extensive experience advising NHS organisations, regulators, local authorities and other public sector bodies on governance, reorganisation, policy development, and regulatory matters.

He has advised NHS England on major transformation programmes, including the Integrated Care Board clustering and merger programme, and regularly supports NHS bodies with the review and drafting of policies, guidance and governance frameworks. Steve has particular expertise in NHS governance, advising on constitutional documents, terms of reference, collaboration agreements and delegation arrangements, as well as helping organisations understand and map their statutory and policy functions.

Steve advises on public involvement and consultation requirements, service reconfiguration, patient choice, commissioning duties and system oversight and enforcement. He also provides specialist advice on equality, health inequalities, and Public Sector Equality Duty compliance, including developing and delivering training programmes for NHS organisations and arm’s length bodies.

Steve has undertaken secondments with NHS England, the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and the London Borough of Hackney.

He also has significant professional regulation experience, including advising on investigations and representing the Professional Standards Authority in litigation, including appeals before the High Court and Court of Appeal.

Featured Experience:

• NHS reorganisation: Advising NHS England on the Integrated Care Board (ICB) clustering and merger programme, providing public law advice on organisational change, appointments and system governance
• Policy development and drafting: Leading comprehensive policy reviews and redrafting exercises for NHS organisations, including supporting the development of national policy and statutory guidance
• NHS governance:
  • Advising NHS organisations, local politicians, and senior health and care leaders on constitutional documents, terms of reference, collaboration agreements and delegation arrangements
  • Supporting organisations to understand and map statutory and policy functions, including issues relating to joint working, conflicts of interest, and delegation
• Public law advisory work:
  • Advising on public involvement and consultation requirements, temporary service changes and long-term service reconfiguration
  • Providing advice on patient choice, challenges from independent providers, primary care reorganisation, commissioning duties and statutory obligations under the NHS Act 2006 and wider legal frameworks
  • Advising schools, local authorities, and NHS bodies on respective SEND responsibilities
• Equalities and health inequalities: Advising a national arm's length body on its Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) programme and developed and delivered training programmes on NHS-specific equality and public law duties
• Professional regulation: Advising regulators and NHS bodies on investigations and enforcement matters and represented the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care in litigation, including statutory appeals before the High Court and Court of Appeal

Endoresments:

· "Steve Atkinson – responsive, intelligent, always delivers and helps to solve complex legal challenges" Legal 500 UK, 2022