‘… a chronic lack of decision discipline… an inability to resist the temptation to make radical changes to each new… programme almost as soon as it is launched… ministers and top brass seldom stay in their posts for more than two or three years… and each successive generation feels free to reverse or amend their predecessors’ plans, often on a whim or by stealth…’
Whatever’s being described someone should sort it out. Give us a hecatomb of the management.
You might say… that’s the NHS for you. Recognise an all too accurate critique. Except…
No19 is dissatisfied with the way in which the NHS is managed, who manages it and what they do. He implies money is routinely wasted and the system is inefficient.
It’s also worth pointing out; the announcement about bringing in the Army, to sort out NHS management, coincides with the Tory Party Conference in Manchester.
Groan...
Presumably, the blue-rinse fan-club are too dim to remember, David Cameron pulled the same stunt in 2015. He got the former boss of Marks&Sparks to do the same thing. He came up with 19 recommendations, none were implemented.
Just for the record;
The NHS employs, roughly;
11% of its total workforce as doctors,
30% nurses,
11% scientific,
therapeutic and technical staff,
26% clinical support staff,
5% property and estates,
9% HR, finance and IT …
and managers…
… have a guess; 15%, 11%, or 4%. I’ll help you.
Here’s a clue;
In the UK as a whole, managers make up 9.5% of the workforce.
Here’s another clue;
Civilians, supporting the Army, comprise; 9,500 civil servants and 2,400 locally employed. The army has 82,230 regulars and 30,030 reservists.
So, we might say, the Army’s civil management could be about 9.5%.
Add to that, NCOs, officers and what-not-brass and you might get to about 15%? Dunno…
The NHS? Wait for it… the answer is four percent. For good measure, of every £100 the NHS spends, about a pound goes on management.
So, either the Army and the UK workforce, is over managed, or the NHS is performing daily miracles.
The message to General Messenger is… well, unprintable.
Messenger has never been to Sandhurst, he joined the army as a ‘short-career-graduate’… a bit like the NHS graduate scheme, but he did become a ‘Mountain Leader’, having graduated from the Canadian Forces, Staff Course.
He’s since served, with distinction, in theatres of war across the world, been decorated and was an aide-de-camp to the Queen.
Unquestionably, a good, brave man to have around if you want to kill people, survive on a mountain or pour a G&T for HMQ, but running a hospital? I’m not so sure.
Army officers are trained to lead in war, counter insurgency and anti-terrorism. A general earns £123,106 and has a job for life. Perks; free housing, staff car, officers’ mess, orderlies and a lump-sum on retirement.
FTSE 100 companies are run by people earning an average of £2.69 million, fabulous perks and they usually stay for six years.
By way of example; Bart’s Health comprises five hosptials, 16,000 staff, sees 1.3m outpatients, a year, about 1,000 A&E patients a day. A turn-over of £1.5bn and the CEO’ salary is about £240,000, no perks.
The average length of stay for a Trust CEO is under 3years.
I think the NHS could probably teach UK industry and the Army a thing-or-two.
If anything, NHS managers need support, a period of stability, clarity of political priorities, a workforce plan, career and personal development and a pat on the back.
They manage diminishing resources and outrageous demand, put up with ludicrous, meddling politicians who’ll use any facet of the NHS to grab a headline.
>> I'm hearing - Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust has appointed a former Labour MP as its new chair. Claire Ward has been interim chair of the trust since April 2021.
>> I'm hearing - Paul Gray, former Chief Executive of NHS Scotland, says that NHS Scotland cannot meet the current and emerging health challenges, and is not designed to do so.
>> I'm hearing - members of the fire brigade have been sent letters for HGV driving. Same is happening with ambulance as well. They seem to be writing to all those on DVLC database who have had/have a Class C1 and above. A number of paramedics have received letters.
>> I'm hearing - Tracy Taylor CEO Nottingham, has announced her resignation from the trust with immediate effect. She has been unwell with covid-19 since early July.
>> I'm hearing - the BMA (them again) are warning GPs have been 'singled out' unfairly under government pay transparency rules that risk triggering a fresh wave of abuse against the profession.
>> I'm hearing - GPs will be asked to ‘clinically review’ Covid Pass exemption applications.
