Analysis & opinion

Are managers always to blame for the poor working culture in the NHS, or is that just a convenient excuse for politicians who find the root causes of our problems too hard to solve?

A growing army of academics and local leaders say thinking long-term and giving power to local people and staff is the key to saving the NHS and other struggling public services. But are our national politicians listening?

With ambitious plans but little money to spend, a Labour government will need the skills, nerve and insight of managers to make its promise of a 'decade of renewal' in the NHS a reality.

The last party conference season before the general election showed that UK politicians still have to get their heads round what the NHS needs and what it can be expected to deliver.

The Lucy Letby case demands a comprehensive and thoughtful response. Statutory regulation of managers may be a part of that, but won't be a quick fix. Right now, we need to tackle a culture that deters staff, patients and the public from raising concerns about NHS care.

As the party conference season gets underway this weekend, Sir Chris Ham sets out the challenges facing the UK’s political parties as they draw up their NHS policies, and argues that the multiple crises facing the NHS can be overcome with honesty, realism and political will.

While the NHS pension scheme is eye-wateringly huge, it is eminently affordable, taking in billions more in contributions than it pays out in benefits. It remains one of the safest investments going, writes Jon Restell.

We need to challenge the widely-held belief that all-powerful managers are blocking change in the NHS. It's a lack of empathy for the difficult choices and hard realities that managers face which is holding us back.

Staff shortages, plunging morale and shrinking pay packets are pushing more and more board-level NHS managers towards the door. A fair pay award would help to stabilise NHS leadership – just when the service needs it most

I’m no Nostradamus, but I do have some predictive ability. Here are my highlights for the NHS in 2023.