Election debate risks over-simplifying issue of NHS management

Petra Wilton, Director of Policy and Research at the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), has warned against over-simplifying the issue of NHS management in the wake of the general election leaders' debate.

"It's right that political leaders are focused on how we get value for money in the public services. But there's a risk that the debate becomes misleading if it's simply about the number of managers. In fact, having high-quality managers is what allows frontline staff to focus more on what they do best – in the case of the NHS, on treating patients."

"The real question has to be not ‘how many managers are there?’, but rather, ‘do they have the skills to do their job?’ The Stafford Hospital crisis showed that bad management can cost lives: an emphasis on meeting targets was prioritised ahead of considerations about staff wellbeing, performance, and, worst still, patient safety."

“So while politicians are worried about the cost of management, we must never forget the cost of bad management. We believe the NHS should examine the potential for a policy of only employing managers who are professionally qualified, taking steps to qualify its existing workforce. Any future government should make clear their commitment to developing professional management and leadership skills in the public sector."

CMI's Manifesto for a Better Managed Britain, outlining the action needed from policy-makers, individual managers and employers to close the UK's management and leadership skills gap, can be found at www.managers.org.uk/manifesto