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Demand for interim managers in the NHS was at its zenith in 2008, mainly fuelled by world class commissioning, but despite a recent contraction in the market I hold the belief that demand will return next year. It’s a truism that successive governments will continue to use the NHS as a political playground, a change of government means a change of policy and so the reorganisation proposed in Lansley’s white paper should drive demand for interim resource.
But an underlying and persistent driver of the NHS interim market is the protection afforded to the NHS’ substantive workforce. The Guardian reported a few weeks ago on how difficult it is for public sector employers to sack employees for poor performance. They cited a CIPD report which found that public sector organisations average one formal disciplinary case per 364 employees each year, compared with one disciplinary case per 119 employees among private services employers. Not only that, the average discipline case takes nearly twice as many management days to resolve in the public sector as it does in the private sector. Any organisation saddled with poor or average performers is going to struggle to drive their management capabilities and is more likely to need external support to deal with anything outside of the business as usual remit.
Not only are average performers difficult to remove, they are incentivised to stay. Those with longer tenure are more likely to hold out for statutory NHS redundancy payouts, rather than take advantage of the recent MARS scheme. And whilst average performers will stay, the good are more likely to go: the HSJ reported a couple of weeks ago on the PCT “talent drain”, as good employees start to jump ship early and secure new roles elsewhere. They quoted Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chair of the BMA GPs’ who said “we do have concerns that senior PCT managers are leaving; the very people who we need in the future to make these changes work.” Most PCTs will see a reduction in management headcount and capabilities, and management cost reduction targets notwithstanding that should mean there is healthy demand for interim managers to assist PCTs in driving through change and continuing to perform their statutory functions through until 2013.
Your comments as ever are welcomed.
Steve Melber is Senior Consultant, Health at Interim Partners.
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November 26th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Steve
How true are many of your comments today? I have been an NHS employee for 24 years and interim for several years and often seen staff promoted beyond their competence, staff being poorly managed, and lack of strong targets used to drive better performance for patients. Too often the organisations protect the staff rather than provide better services for patients. The process for improving performance is seldom used properly – but I’ve managed to do so on several occasions- I think being interim helps, although maybe that’s just about being a strong leader. Certainly when it comes to the crunch and all roads lead to dismissal it’s immensely difficult to get over the HR hurdle and actually dismiss people. The current cycle revolves around extended periods of sick leave as soon as a manager embarks on this road, and HR hide behind it too often.
Whilst the appetite for interims may remain, we will also the supply market grow with inexperienced interims that could end up in roles for which they have little preparation, and of course daily rates will drop, but this won’t always equal better value.