NHS has a 'chronic shortage of good leaders', report claims

Lord Rose’s review was originally due to be published before the election

The government said it accepts 'in principle' all 19 of the recommendations of Lord Rose's report (Getty Images)

The NHS has a “chronic shortage of good leaders” and lacks a single vision or common ethos, a long-awaited report on health service management by former Marks and Spencer’s boss Stuart Rose has claimed.

Lord Rose’s report said that while the NHS had committed to “a vast range of changes” over the coming years, there was “insufficient management and leadership capability” within the organisation.

His review, which was originally due to be published before the election, recommends a tenfold extension of the NHS graduate training scheme for managers. Senior NHS managers should also attend accredited courses and, once qualified, go into a “management talent pool” open to all NHS organisations, the report says.

Lord Rose also criticised the “mutual distrust” between frontline healthcare staff and managers, warning that the NHS remains “stubbornly tribal”.

“There is no unifying ethos across all disciplines. Little has been done to rectify this. There is not enough management by walking about and listening,” the report says.

The government said it accepted “in principle” all 19 of the report’s recommendations.