Press release: NHS Confederation launches new report into improving relations between doctors and managers

26 Jun 2003

The NHS Confederation today launches a landmark report aimed at improving the relationship between doctors and managers at its annual conference in The report acknowledges that, despite good relations in many local organisations, there have been problems between doctors and managers. The report recognises there are specific issues which cause difficulties but also deeper-seated underlying causes, many of which are not unique to the NHS but are seen in health systems across the developed world.
The report's principles include:

• Mutual respect and recognition of the different but complementary roles of doctors and managers;
• The need to involve clinicians in setting objectives and managing NHS organisations; 
• Managerial recognition of clinicians' responsibility to their individual patients and medical recognition of wider population and resource issues; 
• Challenging unacceptable behaviour by individuals in either profession where it occurs.
  

The specific recommendations include:

• Promoting joint training in leadership and management for doctors and managers; 
• Exploring ways of introducing explicit dialogue at local level between clinicians and managers about achieving organisational and NHS-wide aims and objectives; 
• Working with the Department of Health to develop a new approach to targets; 
• Exploring how good practice in working relations between doctors and managers can be extended more widely.
  

Dr Gill Morgan, NHS Confederation chief executive, said: "NHS services will not be improved without the active engagement of clinicians, and relations between doctors and managers have a crucial impact on patient care - for good or ill. We are proud to be publishing this major report which we believe marks an important step forward. We look forward to working with leaders of the medical profession to turn the recommendations into practical action."
Supporting the report, Professor Peter Hutton, President of the Royal Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said: "Doctors and managers share the same goal of providing high-quality care for patients. A common purpose with agreed aims is a goal worth striving for, and the meeting reported in this report represents a major step in the right direction."
Jim Johnson, Chairman of the Joint Consultants Committee said: "Very real tensions between doctors and managers undoubtedly exist, but the best approach to this problem is to encourage dialogue between the two parties. Improving relations is essential to ensure mutually beneficial partnerships and service improvement."

ENDS

Notes for editors

1. 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.
2. The Medicine and Management report will be launched at the clinical reception of the NHS Confederation conference at 12.15pm today. 
3.  The annual conference runs from Wednesday 25th-Friday 27th June at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow. The Rt Hon John Reid MP will deliver his first major speech as Secretary of State for Health at 4.30pm.  Copies of the speech will be available from the Confederation press office.

Contact details

1. Contact Media Relations Manager Joanna Clason on 020 7074 3306 or 07798 571078 or Senior Media Officer Amy Darlington on 020 7074 3304 or 07767 770309. For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.
   

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