Press release: NHS Confederation rebuts Michael Howard's advert in The Guardian today

14 Jan 2004

Dr Gill Morgan's quote used in Michael Howard's advert in The Guardian today is two year's out of date, the NHS Confederation contested today. There is too much policy making by anecdote and not enough examination of the real issues, the NHS Confederation said.
Dr Gill Morgan, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, said: 'The quote, "the current level of micro-management of the NHS by Government is worse than ever before", is nearly two years out of date and does not represent our current view. We believe, and the Department has agreed, that there has been too much micro-management of the NHS in the past. But we believe the tide has turned. The last two years have seen significant improvements, including a genuine reduction in the number of targets and a cull of the guidance and central directives sent from the Department to the service.
'Of course there is scope to streamline bureaucracy in the NHS, but the real issue facing the NHS had been decades of underinvestment and shortages of doctors and nurses. Helping frontline staff and managers is a difficult and complex job. While we need to ensure that frontline staff have appropriate professional autonomy, it is insulting and simplistic to imply that managers and administrators don't have a vital role to play.
'Making the NHS work for everyone means better constructive teamwork, not the creation of a culture of criticism and blame. As the Audit Commission has said, there is good evidence that better managed health care produces better results for patients.' 

ENDS

Notes for editors

1. Streamlining bureaucracy and helping to make doctors and nurses work more effectively is vital for better and more responsive patient care. 
2. The Audit Commission stated that, 'there is good evidence that better managed health care produces better results for patients' and the 'key to improvement is better management of resources'. [Source: Audit Commission 'Achieving the NHS Plan' 2003] 
3. 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 service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
   

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