In Autumn 2009 we worked with Jon Restell, the Chief Executive of Managers in Partnership (MiP), on his speech to their annual conference. To read the speech in full, download it here.
In his speech to the conference, MiP chief executive Jon Restell told policy makers that they can’t play fast and loose with healthcare managers.
“Let’s drop the euphemistic attacks on bureaucracy. Let’s talk instead about real people with real families and bills, doing real jobs with real skill. If we do need fewer managers in a particular area, we must deal with people fairly and treat them with dignity. And we must make every effort to keep hold of valuable skills and experience…
…There must be no slash and burn. Cuts to training budgets, blanket recruitment freezes [and] abandoning sensible plans are never more than short-term fixes. We mustn’t revisit the solutions to the 2006 financial crisis.”
He also attacked the notion that managers are not frontline staff and therefore dispensable.
‘It’s no use pretending that getting rid of non-clinical staff won’t carry a price for safety, effectiveness and the patient experience. Bed bookers matter, porters matter, service managers matter. Let’s not lose them without examining carefully what people like this do for patients and for clinical colleagues.’
Mike O’Brien, Minister of State for Health Services, gave the keynote address.