Management, People and Organisations - Nhs
1.1 Introduction to NHS
Statistics from the NHS Confederation (2007) reports a colossal number of employees and patients in the NHS. Managers and senior managers account for 2.8 per cent of the almost 1.3 million staff employed by the NHS. 27 per cent of NHS chief executives come from a clinical background and 50.2 per cent of NHS managers have a clinical background. The NHS deals with over 1 million patients every 36 hours.
There are many hospitals and infirmaries under the NHS management. From the Leighton Hospital and Victoria Infirmary, we can see the typical organisation chart of a hospital in the NHS. Figure 1.1 below is adapted from Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust (2007).
Figure 1.1 Organisation chart of Leighton Hospital and Victoria Infirmary
In the following sections, we are going to discuss the possible problems in management and organisation, what had caused them, and what would happen if the organisation had taken a different strategy.
1.2 Problems in NHS and Possible Causes
The NHS is set in an environment with ever-changing policies and crisis. The Department of Health (2007) is responsible for frequently changing and implementing policies affecting the NHS. The National Statistics (2006a, 2006b) reports of an ageing population caused by pandemic diseases and lower birth rates; hence the public is pressurising the NHS to improve these numbers. These problems are forcing the NHS to change to cope with the environment.
In Figure 1.1, we have seen the typical organisation chart of a single division of the NHS. The one we have seen is just the tip of the iceberg. According to NHS Confederation (2006), there are 152 primary care trusts and each overseeing many hospitals. With such a huge number of employees, the NHS inevitably created a tall scalar chain in the organisation. The organisation is also split into many divisions managed by the primary care trusts.
Tall scalar chains in the organisation were reported (Management,
Statistics from the NHS Confederation (2007) reports a colossal number of employees and patients in the NHS. Managers and senior managers account for 2.8 per cent of the almost 1.3 million staff employed by the NHS. 27 per cent of NHS chief executives come from a clinical background and 50.2 per cent of NHS managers have a clinical background. The NHS deals with over 1 million patients every 36 hours.
There are many hospitals and infirmaries under the NHS management. From the Leighton Hospital and Victoria Infirmary, we can see the typical organisation chart of a hospital in the NHS. Figure 1.1 below is adapted from Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust (2007).
Figure 1.1 Organisation chart of Leighton Hospital and Victoria Infirmary
In the following sections, we are going to discuss the possible problems in management and organisation, what had caused them, and what would happen if the organisation had taken a different strategy.
1.2 Problems in NHS and Possible Causes
The NHS is set in an environment with ever-changing policies and crisis. The Department of Health (2007) is responsible for frequently changing and implementing policies affecting the NHS. The National Statistics (2006a, 2006b) reports of an ageing population caused by pandemic diseases and lower birth rates; hence the public is pressurising the NHS to improve these numbers. These problems are forcing the NHS to change to cope with the environment.
In Figure 1.1, we have seen the typical organisation chart of a single division of the NHS. The one we have seen is just the tip of the iceberg. According to NHS Confederation (2006), there are 152 primary care trusts and each overseeing many hospitals. With such a huge number of employees, the NHS inevitably created a tall scalar chain in the organisation. The organisation is also split into many divisions managed by the primary care trusts.
Tall scalar chains in the organisation were reported (Management,
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