The King’s Fund and the University of Birmingham’s Health Services Management Centre recently published a resource on “Why management matters so much for the success of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan.”

It considers how the NHS is managed now, and what needs to change to enable the 10 Year Health Plan for England.

What is the 10 Year Health Plan?

The plan is to shift focus within three key areas:

• Hospital to community: This will involve greater investment in out-of-hospital care.
• Analogue to digital or “bricks to clicks: The NHS app will enable patients to access services, manage medicines, etc.
• Sickness to prevention: This includes addressing mental health, HPV vaccination, obesity, and children’s access to harmful substances (e.g. tobacco and vapes).
• New models of leadership will be introduced to focus on local, modernised provision. All NHS staff will have a personalised career plan, and leaders will have new freedoms to manage their staff.

What does NHS leadership and management look like now?

• The NHS spends less on management than similar health services across the globe.
• Research shows that an increase in the number of managers leads to significant improvements.
• Clinicians are taking on management and leadership roles, and often have little training to support them in transitioning to leadership. Instead, leaders are expected to learn on the job.
• NHS leaders must balance government targets and budgets with community needs.
• Peer networks and buddy/mentor systems are effective in providing support for NHS managers and leaders.

What needs to be done?

• The 10 Year Health Plan requires collaboration between skilled and equipped managers, clinicians, and operations teams.
• Managers require new skills, including using digital tools.
• Organisations must prioritise staff development.
• The government will establish “a college of executive and clinical leadership, to help train and develop excellent NHS leaders”.
• Local leaders must be given the freedom to lead effectively. The government must delegate its leadership, trusting and supporting local teams. This enables the NHS to meet national and local needs.
• The focus needs to move from compliance to commitment. Staff should be able to spend their time delivering person-centred care rather than ticking boxes.

What does this mean for health and social care organisations now?

One of the key challenges managers and leaders face is a lack of training to support them in their roles. In this time of transition, education is vital.

The 10 Year Health Plan will introduce career and development plans for all staff. Accreditation offers an opportunity to invest in your staff and your organisation. Please contact Advantage Accreditation if you are interested in becoming an accredited training centre.