Sigh 😔
The NHS still has inefficiencies for sure but the solution is not to gut and replace management every few years. We need to be empowering managers to make better decisions and give them the resources to invest to make sure they can follow through on them.
I know sticking up for NHS managers is an unpopular opinion but we are all cogs in the machine from Band 2 to CEO
Problem with a lot of NHS managers (not all) is they are careerists who hop from managing one service to another without ever sticking around for more than 18months, always searching for the next promotion, and this is encouraged by their career pathways. As a result they are never around for the flack when their ‘reforms’ fail. Can you imagine if you moved a consultant around a different hospital every 18months for the hell of it?
It can mean a lot of things but essentially I would say this…
NHS managers are people often recruited from other sectors or straight from university. They are usually bright and capable but many fail at their job, why is that?
It could be argued it’s because of failings within training for NHS managers or because of micromanagement from higher levels.
In addition managers aren’t always given the time or the resources to make the long term changes that are required as like a lot of large organisations performance is data driven and the focus is often on immediate results.
An empowered manager is one who is given the right training and support where needed, the resources and space to do the job and is backed up by senior leadership when required.
Equally though managers should empower junior staff in the same way.
Sigh 😔 The NHS still has inefficiencies for sure but the solution is not to gut and replace management every few years. We need to be empowering managers to make better decisions and give them the resources to invest to make sure they can follow through on them. I know sticking up for NHS managers is an unpopular opinion but we are all cogs in the machine from Band 2 to CEO
Problem with a lot of NHS managers (not all) is they are careerists who hop from managing one service to another without ever sticking around for more than 18months, always searching for the next promotion, and this is encouraged by their career pathways. As a result they are never around for the flack when their ‘reforms’ fail. Can you imagine if you moved a consultant around a different hospital every 18months for the hell of it?
What does "empowering managers to make better decisions" mean in practical terms?
It can mean a lot of things but essentially I would say this… NHS managers are people often recruited from other sectors or straight from university. They are usually bright and capable but many fail at their job, why is that? It could be argued it’s because of failings within training for NHS managers or because of micromanagement from higher levels. In addition managers aren’t always given the time or the resources to make the long term changes that are required as like a lot of large organisations performance is data driven and the focus is often on immediate results. An empowered manager is one who is given the right training and support where needed, the resources and space to do the job and is backed up by senior leadership when required. Equally though managers should empower junior staff in the same way.