NHS bosses’ salaries have soared by more than £1.1bn, despite repeated failures to hit targets, the Mail can reveal.
While the number of staff in the health service in England has increased by 10,000 in a decade, 1,150 fully qualified GPs have left in the same period.
And as the army of managers grows, hospitals and ambulances routinely fail to meet performance targets on waiting lists, cancer treatment and response times.
It comes as a damning poll revealed that 83 per cent of Britons have major concerns about the state of the health service and do not believe Labor’s plans will fix it.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that failing hospitals will be named and shamed in rankings and NHS managers sacked if they fail to make improvements.
He told bosses there would be “no more rewards for failure” and set out measures aimed at tackling poor performance.
But an analysis of NHS figures shows the soaring pay bill for questioned managers has risen 69 per cent in a decade, to £2.8bn last year.
Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrats’ health and social care spokeswoman, said patients were “suffering the consequences” of poor management.
NHS bosses’ salaries have soared by more than £1.1bn, despite repeated failures to meet targets. Pictured: Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
While the number of staff in the health service in England has increased by 10,000 people in a decade, 1,150 fully qualified GPs have left in the same period (File image)
He added: “With our health service under more pressure than ever, the previous Conservative government’s failure to tackle NHS waiting times and falling productivity was a shocking dereliction of duty. It is patients who now suffer the consequences.
‘The new Labor government must understand why, despite dramatic increases in spending on NHS managers, productivity has fallen.
‘Dilapidated hospitals and old computers are certainly part of the reason why administrators are fighting for change, but the Health Secretary must dig deeper if patients are to receive the care they need.
“That’s why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to launch an inquiry into falling productivity across the NHS… and to find ways to increase productivity to ensure NHS managers are delivering good value for money.” -price”.
The survey of more than 1,000 people revealed major fears about the health service and wavering confidence in its future.
It showed that 83 per cent of people are concerned about the NHS, and just over half (51 per cent) said they did not believe Mr Streeting’s plans to reform the health service would make any difference in the next five years.
This figure rose to 65 per cent who answered ‘no’ when asked if they were confident improvements would be made in the next 12 months.
The NHS has continued to hire managers in a bid to halt its decline, and their numbers have soared by 36 per cent in a decade: from 29,144 to 39,595.
A survey of more than 1,000 people revealed deep fears about the health service and wavering confidence in its future (File image)
Helen Morgan (pictured), the Liberal Democrats’ health and social care spokesperson, said patients were “suffering the consequences” of poor management.
The figures include all employees classified as ‘managers’ or ‘senior managers’, with the latter earning an average of £90,144 a year, up from £77,415 in 2015.
The Office for National Statistics says NHS productivity fell by more than 6 per cent between 2015 and 2022, the last time it published its productivity index.
A major review of the NHS, commissioned by Streeting and carried out last year by consultant surgeon Lord Ara Darzi, found that the NHS spent less on administrators than health systems in other countries.
But Lord Darzi added: “The problem is not that there are too many managers, but too few with the right skills and capabilities.”
He said poor performance by managers meant many doctors were taken away from providing care to perform administrative tasks, which was an inefficient use of their time.
He added: “We need to invest in developing managerial talent and creating the conditions for success.”
Under Streeting’s plans, managers who persistently fail will be replaced and recovery teams sent to trusts that have large financial deficits or offer patients a poor service.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “Managers play a vital role in the NHS, including giving clinicians the time they need to treat and care for patients.
Matthew Taylor (pictured), chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said managers “play a vital role in the NHS” and only make up a “small part of the workforce – 2 per cent”.
‘They also represent only a small part of the workforce: 2 percent.
‘The evidence is clear that the NHS is not overmanaged. In fact, our research and other independent investigations have shown that it is undermanaged compared to many international systems; this was also highlighted by Lord Darzi in his report.
“The NHS is going to need all its hardworking staff, including managers, if it is to reduce waiting lists and improve productivity, both of which are key priorities for the Government.”
Saffron Cordery, acting chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “Given the enormous range of pressures on the NHS, we must do more to attract and retain talented managers so that frontline staff can focus on what they do best – delivering care. high-quality medical care. careful.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘To ensure our Change Plan changes our NHS, we need the best and brightest health service managers.
‘Last month the Secretary of State promised that, as part of our Ten Year Health Plan, we will reform the NHS so that it rewards success and acts decisively in the face of failure.
“We are also investing more than £2 billion in NHS technology and digital improvements to increase productivity, so patients get more out of taxpayers’ money.”