Press release: Independent watchdog confirms that investment in management is an investment in patient care
05 Jun 2003
The NHS Confederation today welcomed the Audit Commission's assessment that good management has been vital in bringing about better services for patients.
Dr Gill Morgan, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation said: "This report exposes the myth that there are too many managers in the NHS. The Audit Commission has found that though management resources are thinly spread, NHS managers are leading change across the service. It makes clear that investing in good management is one of the key ingredients to really improving services for patients."
This is the second report by an independent watchdog in recent weeks that confirms the key role that managers are playing in modernising the NHS.
The report does highlight some areas for improvement, including the need to strengthen management capacity in the new primary care and mental health trusts. Dr Morgan said: "Primary care trusts in particular are suffering from recent re-organisation and are facing an enormous agenda. The priority now is to support these new organisations as they develop to ensure they are in a position to rise to the challenge."
The Commission's report also raises concerns that targets are being met at the expense of lasting improvement. The NHS Confederation has long called for a better approach to the way targets are both set and measured. As we move to an increasingly devolved NHS, we believe this should be based on clinicians and managers jointly setting stretching targets to improve the patient experience, based on national standards, the involvement patients and communities, and measured in a way that reflects real improvements over time.
Dr Morgan said: "We believe that many of the targets have helped to concentrate efforts and that genuine improvements have been delivered as a result. But we do need a new approach to setting and measuring targets to ensure we encourage real innovation and a focus on long term sustainable change."
In response to the report's comments on the robustness of star ratings, Dr Morgan said: "There is already a recognition that the star rating system needs improvement to ensure it provides a more rounded picture of organisational performance and the patient and staff experience. This report highlights the need for an agreed definition of what management capacity is required to deliver a modern health service."
Dr Morgan concluded: "This report demonstrates that the NHS is getting better, that the overall direction of travel is right and that significant improvements are being made."
ENDS
Notes for editors
- The NHS Confederation represents the organisations that make up the NHS. Our members include the majority of NHS trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; trusts and NHS boards in Scotland; and health and social services trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
Contact details
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