Future Forum: government should stop 'slagging off' managers

The leaders of the review group attacked the government for talking down managers and said their report should be a “turning point” in the way managers were treated.

One of the forum leads, NHS East Midlands medical director Kathy Mclean, said once the board was set up it should indicate managers’ future roles.

She said: “The detail of the commissioning board will need to be worked out. So the commissioning board should be set up as quickly as possible so [its chief executive designate] David Nicholson can do that.”

University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust chief executive Julie Moore, another of the leads, said she had a “grave concern” that managers were leaving the service as a result of criticism from the government.

She said: “Reducing management had to happen. To put a figure on it? I don’t know.

“I get very annoyed when people start talking about ‘pen pushers’. It’s not right – they do a good job. [Managers] were doing a job they were asked to do. It is not appropriate to then slag them off.”

Future Forum chair Steve Field said: “Today should be a turning point on this – we’ve heard a lot of disturbing rhetoric about managers and bureaucracy.”

The Future Forum report recommended: “The NHS Commissioning Board should be established as soon as possible to ensure focused leadership for improving quality and safety as well as meeting the financial challenge during the transition.”

However, in response to the forum the government said the commissioning board would be established in October next year and only take on its full duties the following April.

The forum also said: “Experienced managers must be retained in order to ensure a smooth transition and support clinical leaders in tackling the financial challenges facing the NHS.”

The Commissioning Board had been due to be established in shadow form in April and Sir David, also NHS chief executive, had been due to publish the “top level structure” of the board several weeks ago.

Both were delayed because of the review of the reforms.

The fact that the board will retain commissioning budgets where consortia are not deemed ready – as proposed by the Future Forum – means it is likely to need more local offices and staff than previously envisaged.

Sir David is now likely to publish a detailed letter about “managing the transition” in coming weeks.