NHS frontline staff forced to ‘plug gaps that should be filled by managers’
New study lays bare the growing crisis NHS faces
- A new report by the King's Fund indicates that NHS frontline staff are increasingly undertaking administrative and managerial tasks due to a significant shortage of skilled managers.
- The analysis reveals a “near record low” number of NHS managers, with the ratio now standing at 33 staff members per manager, an increase from 27 staff per manager in 2010.
- Between 2010 and 2025, the overall NHS staff numbers grew by 37 per cent, whereas the number of managers increased by only 12 per cent over the same period.
- This managerial deficit forces clinical professionals to dedicate hours each week to paperwork and rota management, contributing to high burnout rates and low staff satisfaction, as stated by Suzie Bailey from the King's Fund.
- The report advocates for greater investment and support for NHS managers, emphasising their vital role in enabling frontline staff to focus on patient care, a sentiment echoed by the Department of Health.
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