Blogs and Briefings
Managers must be at centre of health reforms
Connect's Sophie Wedderkopp reports from the Managers in Partnership annual conference, organised by the Connect team.
24 November 2011
You might not expect an NHS Managers conference to be a particularly cheery affair given the Government's current commitment to reduce NHS management by 45%, but yesterday's event was well attended and characterised by a positive, optimistic outlook. With everything going on in the health sector, managers appear to just want to get on with their jobs and deliver effective care for patients.
In the room, it was clear that there is a disconnect between legislative changes being wrangled over in Westminster and the challenges that NHS staff are facing everyday on the front line. Managers are in a difficult position - being told on the one hand that their jobs are in jeopardy whilst also facing incredibly high expectations. To meet existing demand, they have been asked to save £20 billion in 4 years - the unprecedented 'Nicholson challenge'. In addition, both policy and public focus is on the need to integrate care and ensure a high quality service, aims that are clearly at the forefront of members minds. The key question is how to achieve this in the context of enormous restructuring.
Of course Managers in Partnership members strongly believe that effective management and leadership is necessary to deal with changing demographics and health needs. David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the NHS, emphasised the value of managers in his keynote speech, adding that - having worked under 4 Health Secretaries - they do eventually come to understand that good management is key to a sucessfully functioning health service.
The problem for managers now is that Andrew Lansley does not appreciate their role and, instead, has focused on 'manager-bashing'. Delegates were genuinely torn between declining job prospects, pay and pensions, and the desire to continue to provide high quality care for patients.
The Day of Action (Nov 30) is rapidly approaching and yet, interestingly, pensions are a very separate issue to the NHS reforms and Health and Social Care Bill. However, the danger is that by demoralising staff and expecting more for less, the ability to address the genuine need for integration and higher standards in care is compromised irrevocably.
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiewedd
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