The number of managers in the NHS in England rose by nearly 12% last year, more than five times the rate of qualified nurse recruitment, sparking concerns that funds are being diverted from frontline staff. The NHS now employs 44,660 managers and senior managers, with an average annual increase of 6.3% over the last decade, outpacing growth among consultants, doctors, nurses and midwives.
A census by The NHS Information Centre shows total staff numbers reached 1,432,000 in 2009, an increase of 63,300 (4.6%) on the previous year, representing a steep acceleration in hiring. Staff numbers have grown by 2.7% on average each year over the past decade.
Opposition parties criticised the government's management of the NHS. Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said it was ironic that the day after the budget, where Chancellor Alastair Darling claimed the NHS needed to be more efficient, 'box-ticking and bureaucracy still seems to be more important than caring for patients'. He added that funds needed for the frontline were being 'swallowed up by Labour's bureaucratic black hole'.
However, some argued managers are needed to make the NHS 'leaner'. Steve Barnett, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, said good management would be vital in navigating difficult times. He noted the government aimed for a 30% reduction in management spend over three years, but warned that across-the-board cuts could hit efficient organisations harder.
Productivity has fallen by 3% since 2001, or 0.4% per year on average, as staff growth has outstripped patient numbers. The British Medical Association blamed increased competition for the rise in managerial staff. Dr Keith Brent, Deputy Chairman of the BMA's Consultants Committee, said many additional managers were employed to deal with bureaucracy and fragmentation from greater competition, with 'little or no evidence of benefit to patients'.
