News
NHS has under two years to prepare for cuts
2 July 2009
Independent human resources expert Chris Roebuck today predicted that
the NHS could significantly reduce the impact of major budget cuts
provided it was able to fully harness the skills and commitment of its
staff.
But he warned that the organisation had under two years to make the
necessary changes before it faced cuts estimated to be between £8–10
billion.
Speaking at the NHS Talent Management Conference in London, Roebuck
pointed out that, although the best practices in the NHS rival the best
in the private sector, data from McKinsey suggests the average NHS trust
could be performing at about 20% below the level of major British
companies when it comes to managing performance of people and talent. He
said that this must change by 2011.
“NHS leaders need to create an environment where every member of
staff is fully engaged to deliver world-class patient care,” he said.
“They need to innovate and seek efficiencies to save money and to
work together as a single aligned and integrated team. Above all, it’s
about getting everyone to give that 30% extra discretionary effort that
they can give to their organisation should they wish.”
A number of organisations across the world have achieved similar
changes so the NHS has a proven road map to follow. It has many of the
resources required and has a critical advantage that the private sector
often lacks —the deep loyalty of staff.
“All it has to do now is make a determined effort to go up a gear and
make it happen; for both staff and patients,” he said.
Roebuck believes that the Government’s role must be to focus on the
delivery of patient care with fewer resources, and the move away from
the achievement of a limited set of target figures disconnected from the
reality of patient experience.
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