THE NHS needs to ship in scores of managers to help to overhaul services, offer patient choice, implement new financial systems and support clinical staff, according to the NHS Confederation.

The confederation has produced a nifty booklet of facts about managers to support its claim. It says that, contrary to popular belief, there are more beds than managers, five times more, and that not all managers are grey-suited men; 59 per cent are women and judging by the photographs, they favour black clothing.

The booklet also points out that NHS managers offer value for money. They earn less than managers elsewhere in the public or private sectors. The only figure missing from the report is how many more managers are needed. However, it does mention that only 3 per cent of the NHS’s 1.3 million staff are managers compared with 15 per cent in the outside world — which would suggest that 156,000 more managers are needed.

An article in the BMJ (April 28) appears to back up the confederation’s case. It says that the NHS is adopting a more commercial and businesslike financial framework, including interest-bearing loans, takeovers and mergers between financially strong and weak health organisations, and service line reporting — working out which specialties and procedures make money and which don’t and why.

Health Service Journal (April 26) also reports on the increasing commercialisation of the NHS. It says the Government is to measure and rate strategic health authorities on the use of private sector organisations by their primary care trusts to commission health services — although it doesn’t say what the ideal number would be.

Some doctors might like to jump ship and retrain as managers or, better, accountants. www.nhsconfed.org

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