New union for health service managers
Four out of five health service managers do not believe that ministers, the media and the general public understand their roles in delivering change for the health service.
That is the finding of a new survey, published to coincide with the launch of a new trade union organisation for health service managers on Monday.
Managers in Partnership (MiP) will bring together NHS chief executives, directors and managers, who the organisation’s founders say are wrongly derided as ‘bureaucrats’.
The survey, conducted by public service union Unison and the senior public servants’ union the FDA who have set up MiP, also found that almost three in four managers said their organisations faced major restructuring over the next two years.
MiP will work closely with the Government, NHS and other professional bodies, to support and provide a policy voice to managers who are dealing with changing roles, tough targets and greater accountability.
Ninety per cent of NHS managers believe employment protection will become more important to them in the coming years; while over half do not think they have the right resources to perform their jobs well.
MiP chief executive Jonathan Restell said: “When it suits them, everyone in public life considers health service managers as fair game. Caring and innovative leaders can be abused, misrepresented and treated brutally. You may be an otherwise confident and resourceful manager, but year after year of this culture has left you and your colleagues feeling voiceless and neglected.”
MiP will initially launch with 4,000 members drawn from Unison and the FDA, but expects to grow significantly.
It will be a wholly independent organisation from its parent unions, and it members will decide policy, structure and organisation.
Steve Barnett, director of NHS Employers, said: “Managers are a vital part of the NHS team and it is important that they can get access to strong representation in the same way that other healthcare workers can. This new partnership arrangement will provide them with a service that is dedicated to representing their interests. We wish MiP every success and look forward to working with them in the future.”
Mr Restell added: “If they are to deliver change for patients and staff, they must have a fair and supportive environment. Unfortunately, our work shows that many NHS organisations are prepared to treat their senior people unfairly or harshly. MiP will stand up for managers individually and as a group.”
