MiP has welcomed a 5% pay rise for very senior and executive senior managers in the NHS in England, after the UK government accepted the latest recommendations from the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB).

The health secretary’s plans to cut 5,500 management jobs to fund community services if the Conservatives win the general election have been criticised as “not credible” by Labour and “paper thin” by MiP.

NHS leaders must show how they are driving service improvement, delivering transformation, promoting equality and developing a just culture as part of new “competency framework” for directors introduced by NHS England this month.

The latest NHS Staff Survey showed a modest improvement in staff morale, but found NHS workers were facing record levels of discrimination, and a significant proportion still plan to leave their jobs in the near future.

MiP has called on Patricia Hewitt’s review of ICS powers to strike the right balance between local autonomy and central direction, warning that many NHS managers will be suspicious of the ideological motives behind the review.

A majority of the public believe an above-inflation pay rise for NHS staff would be fair and workers would be justified in taking strike action if this year’s wage increase fails to match the rising cost of living, according to a new poll.

NHS Confed survey finds racism deters 60% of ethnic minority leaders from recommending NHS management careers, with racist abuse and discrimination most likely to come from colleagues.

NHS managers need to see “significant workforce interventions” – including an inflation-busting pay rise for NHS staff – if they are to manage the staffing crisis in the NHS and lead the recovery from the pandemic, MiP says.

MiP Summit 2021: On day four, Matthew Taylor, Chris Creegan and Geoff Underwood discuss managing change under pressure, motivating people and how managers can be open, honest and even vulnerable in the face of the crisis.

MiP Summit 2021: On day three, MiP chief executive Jon Restell gave his update on pay and conditions across the UK, and UNISON’s Alan Fox briefed members on the changes to NHS pension schemes following the McCloud judgement.