Staffordshire Hospital
Staffordshire Hospital has hit the news recently for the terrible way it treated patients and their families. We commented on this yesterday calling for all NHS managers to have a professional qualification.
What does everyone think of this issue? Do we have anyone that works at Staffordshire Hospital?
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
YouTube
51,377 people viewed the community in October
Actually the comment I picked up on Radio 4 from the minister with regards to the fallout from Staffordshire was that there was no professional body that captured the body of knowledge that surrounds management and leadership! CMI not selling itself?
That is interesting Scott. I didn't see (hear) the Radio 4 piece with Andy Burnham this morning, but I've done a bit of research today for a blog piece and he does appear to be referring to the lack of a body to do the auditing of NHS managers. It does raise an interesting question of not only what makes a manager qualified to practice, but also how they are then judged to be successful in their job.
From my knowlege of another Local Trust, there seems to be a two tier approach to management in the NHS. The higher tier comes directly from those who are admitted via the NHS Graduate Management Scheme and there seems to me more emphasis on Accounting rather than personnel.
The lower tier I would say come directly from the ranks of Doctors and Nurses. They become "Accidental Managers" but without the support of anyone to develop their skills as a manager as this is not seen as the primary job role.
As far as I can tell, there is not a structured approach to leadership development at this level. Qualifications that are seen throughout the rest of industry are viewed as irrelevant. The whole personnel development program for staff at this level is defined by their clinical role and there seems to be a bias towards degree/masters rather than any work based learning. No person that I have spoken to in the NHS knows what the Management Standards are.
The experience of My Wife is a typical example: become a Sister (Team Leader), attend a 4 day management course then off you go! There is no support from anyone above her because there is such a heavy focus on reaching targets at the detriment to supporting or developing employees they are resoponsible for.
As far as Staffordshire Hospital is concerned, I can see this being repeated in virtually any other Trust in the Midlands.
That's certainly an interesting insight David, thanks. You and others might be interested in this event being run by the Bath Branch
http://www.managers.org.uk/forum/bath-branch/managing-nhs-dinosaur
It features a talk by Dick Beath, a manager at the local NHS trust. We're going to run a live blog of the vent so people can attend virtually as well as physically.
Read this morning that the public inquiry is to start today.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11696735
I'm always a little cynical about these things as they never seem to unearth much, but it will be interesting to see what comes from this.
Doesn't look like things have got much better.
"A SCANDAL-HIT hospital was the subject of a new investigation today after the death of newborn twins.
The baby boys died 11 days ago at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire after being transferred from Stafford Hospital, which has been heavily criticised for appalling levels of care."
http://news.scotsman.com/news/UK-News-Disgraced-hospital-in.6623370.jp
As the public inquiry into the catalogue of failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust comes to an end, some are asking whether the same thing could happen again elsewhere in the NHS.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15895099
Has the NHS changed since then?