Harassment, discrimination and the transfer of blame when things go wrong are widespread in the NHS, according to a government-commissioned investigation by health officials.
But NHS England bosses fear that Sajid Javid will selectively use the report’s findings to paint an unfair picture of the behavior of senior executives.
NHS leaders are particularly concerned that while a press release from the Ministry of Health and Welfare (DHSC) on the review cited negative behavior, it did not include the investigation’s finding that they were partly due to pressure on the NHS by politicians.
They also worry that the health secretary, in a planned round of broadcasts Wednesday morning, will also highlight the report’s finding of long-standing “institutional inadequacy” in the way NHS executives are trained.
Tensions over the exact content of the press release sparked controversy behind the scenes on Tuesday. At least two versions of the edition were produced before it was finally released in the late afternoon. Sources who have seen the report say it greatly praises NHS managers for their hard work, commitment to improving patient outcomes and responding to the relentless rise in demand for care.
The study, conducted by General Sir Gordon Messenger and Prof. Linda Pollard, is the largest review of the strengths and weaknesses of NHS management since Roy Griffiths undertook a similar exercise for Norman Fowler, health minister in Margaret Thatcher’s government, in 1983. .
Summarizing key findings from a Messenger / Pollard inquiry sent to the media, DHSC said it had “found evidence of misconduct and attitudes such as discrimination, harassment and a culture of accusation in certain parts of the health and social care system as part of NHS staff are not comfortable talking. “
However, the DHSC summary does not include a reference to the report’s finding that what NHS bosses traditionally consider to be a political micro-management of the service’s work is part of the explanation for such behavior.
NHS trusts in England are often involved in harassment disputes, either as a result of staff statements, evidence found by the Quality of Care Commission during an inspection, or reports from the trust’s “freedom to speak guardian” reports.
For example, major changes have recently taken place in the top management of the Tavistock and Portman Mental Health Trust in London following a report by his guardian on freedom of speech, a separate external review and findings of harassment and fear of staff speaking in the latest staff survey. of the NHS.
DHSC said that while the report from health services management “acknowledged the current pressures facing the workforce and identified many examples of inspiring leadership, it found a general lack of consistency and coordination.” In particular, DHSC said, “over time, ‘institutional inadequacies’ have developed in the way leadership and management are trained, developed and evaluated.”
The report’s findings are “definite”, Javid said. “This shows examples of great leadership, but also where we urgently need to improve. We need to adopt only the highest standards in healthcare and care. Culture and leadership can be the difference between life and death. “
In separate remarks, Javid told the cabinet on Tuesday that the NHS in England was a “blockbuster health system in the Netflix era.” He added that he needed to make greater use of technology, especially artificial intelligence, to improve productivity, free up doctors’ time and tackle care lag.
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