WE’RE OPEN TO CHANGE – SAY NHS MANAGERS (results from our Healthcare Survey enclosed)

Recruiting increasing numbers of managers with insights into consumers’ needs in the commercial world – and boosting cooperation between councils and health trusts in a major way – would improve patient care and treatment in the post-Francis NHS.

These are some of the initial key findings of a survey carried out by top healthcare recruiters, Finegreen Associates, when canvassing the views of current NHS managers on life in an organisation undergoing significant changes in the wake of the damning Francis Report.

In the survey, completed by more than one-hundred NHS managers across the country, people were asked how open they were to some of the main changes envisaged by both Francis and recently appointed NHS England Chief Executive, Simon Stevens.

When asked whether employing managers with private sector skills, such as consumer relations, would help to prioritise patients’ needs, a surprising 90% felt this would be the case – while even more, 94%, called for improved cooperation between the NHS and local authorities to enable delivery of coordinated care and health packages meeting people’s individual needs.

Other topics tackled by the survey included the impact of budget cuts on services, the appointment of clinicians to senior managerial positions and whether friction between clinicians and managers was a barrier to progress.

Perhaps surprisingly, a majority of 57% felt that spending cutbacks had little or no impact on their capacity to maintain existing levels of patient service – while 64% didn’t feel disharmony between clinicians and executives was a serious challenge – with some 71% believing the NHS would benefit from recruiting doctors into senior managerial positions.

Commenting on the survey, Finegreen Associates Chief Executive, Neil Fineberg, said the findings provided an interesting, and sometimes surprising, snapshot of present NHS managers’ views.

He commented: “From our point of view, as a company helping NHS organisations to find top-level executives, it is fascinating to hear the opinions of people at the ‘coal-face’ – who have the responsibility of making the significant changes envisaged by people such as Francis and Stevens.

“What we have discovered is that some of the received wisdom in the media and elsewhere doesn’t necessarily present an accurate picture – and there are some myths to be busted.”

He adds: “For example, the level of resources available isn’t perceived to be a major barrier to maintaining current services - and people appear to be more open than anticipated to new ideas, such as turning doctors into managers and upping cooperation with local authorities.”

When the topic turned to anticipated future demand for NHS services, there was less optimism on the financial front.

Some 78% said they didn’t think the NHS was in a sound financial position to cope with expected demands going forward – given Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) figures showing that government spending on the English NHS has dropped from 6.5 per cent of GDP at the end of the last decade to 6.2 per cent for 2015. 

The survey sought respondents’ views on whistleblowing, training standards and levels of women and minority ethnic candidates in senior positions –as well as proposed ‘buddying’ and mentoring schemes. It also posed questions on top-down reorganisations - and whether outstanding leadership teams should be drafted in to assist ‘failing’ trusts.

Summing up Neil Fineberg says: “I think people will find some of the figures surprising, and contrary to some stereotypical perceptions. These are just the initial findings, and we would like continue canvassing views until the end of the year, in what is essential a rolling survey.”

To find out more about the survey, go to http://www.finegreen.co.uk/healthcaresurvey2014.pdf