SUSTAINED PERFORMANCE;Despite widespread cutbacks, now is the time to invest in NHS managers and their training to ensure a healthier future, says Ruth Spellman

摘要

In a bid to cut public sector spending and deflate NHS bureaucracy, the government's health white paper proposes to slash management costs in England by abolishing some 30,000 management roles. For many employers, losing 50 per cent of their management staff would signal disaster. However, the NHS white paper could present an opportunity to make improvements. An NHS Information Centre survey revealed that manager numbers rose by 12 per cent last year, five times the rate at which qualified nurses were recruited. Could strategic cuts that weed out less capable managers be the turning point for a service plagued by inefficiency? The answer depends on how the cuts are carried out and the development of managers and staff still employed.