Hospital/health service manager

Managers in both the National Health Service (see NHS Careers) and the private sector are required to manage the cost, delivery and quality of health care services.

Depending on the department or the specific nature of the role, tasks may involve:

• Setting budgets and maintaining finances within tight constraints
• Liaising and negotiating with medical and non-medical staff internally (often at the most senior levels), and with people in external organisations e.g. social services, voluntary groups or the private sector
• Managing clinical, professional, clerical and administrative staff
• Managing the recruitment, selection, appraisal and development of staff
• Overseeing the day-to-day management of an organisation, a specific unit or a service area
• Implementing new policies and directives
• Gathering and analysing data and using it to plan and manage both projects and systems
• Working towards ensuring quality and value for money for patients
• Extrapolating data for quality assurance and monitoring purposes
• Planning and implementing strategic changes to improve service delivery
• Attending meetings, writing reports and delivering presentations to a variety of audiences
• Clinical governance and audit
• Sitting on committees and representing the views of departments and teams
• Handling communications and corporate affairs
• Managing premises, catering, cleaning, portering and security (often via sub-contractors)
• Purchasing equipment and supplies, and organising stores
• Using computers to manage information and financial data, and to analyse and measure performance
• Supporting ICT systems and planning new provision and development, sometimes for major projects

Working hours are often nine to five but, in certain roles and specialist areas, shifts may be required.

The National Health Service (NHS) graduate management training scheme is open to internal and external graduates of all disciplines.

Some staff with backgrounds in areas other than management can progress into management by gaining qualifications and experience. It is also fairly common for medical professionals, such as nurses, doctors and therapists, to move into general management roles, particularly those involving clinical services. Unlike the management training scheme, this is not a formalised process, but works on an individual basis. Others with management experience who are working outside the NHS may also apply for management position. This is the most common likely route for doctoral graduates

Some private-sector providers, such as BUPA, also have their own graduate management training schemes.

Entry and progression are also possible (with an appropriate degree and background) into specialist areas, such as property management, human resources (HR), IT and information management.

Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:

• Communication skills, both oral and written, as effective communication is required with a wide variety of individuals and professional groups
• Listening skills and the ability to negotiate with and persuade others
• Motivation, interest in the sector and identification with the common values and aims of the NHS
• Patient/customer focus
• An emphasis on achievement of results and both energy and enthusiasm to ensure that objectives are met
• Initiative and leadership skills, and the ability to gain the trust, commitment and co-operation of others
• Teamworking skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with others
• The ability to grasp clinical issues, including the understanding of treatments and evolving medical technologies
• Organisational skills, to deal with a diverse range of challenges
• Flexible and creative problem-solving ability
• Decision-making ability, particularly in sensitive areas such as the allocation of funds or organising staff levels for a unit
• Numeracy and the ability to analyse complex issues, absorb information, understand data and identify underlying trends
• Adaptability and readiness to challenge existing practices and find alternatives
• The ability to cope with pressure, stress and ongoing change in the form of new medical technology and treatments, policies, practices and reorganisation

• Current starting salary for the National Health Service (NHS) management training scheme is approximately £21,500, excluding London allowance
• In-service candidates receive protected pay up to approximately £27,000. Graduates also receive generous study leave and NHS pension entitlement
• Private sector management training schemes tend to pay slightly more.
• First post salary varies according to the position, but the average within the NHS is £27,000. Typical NHS salaries start at Agenda for Change pay scale  Band 6 or 7 (£24,831 - £39,273)
• The most senior roles within the NHS rise to band 9 (£75,383 - £ 95,333)
• Salaries in the private sector may be slightly higher

See the Agenda for Change for details of NHS pay structures and performance review.

Sector information

Doctoral graduates from 2006-9 working in this occupation were known to be employed in the following profiled sectors six months after graduation:

• Health
• Higher education

Disciplinary background

The most common disciplinary backgrounds for doctoral graduates (2006-2009) entering health service or hospital manager jobs were:

• Academic studies in education
• Biology
• Business studies
• Clinical medicine
• Management studies
• Nursing
• Pharmacology, toxicology & pharmacy
• Psychology

None available

• NHS Careers   
• NHS Jobs    
• NHS Authorities and Trusts  NHS Leadership Programmes    
• NHS Scotland Management Training Scheme   
• Gateway to NHS Wales    
• Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland: General Management Training Scheme   
• BUPA Graduate Recruitment  and BUPA Jobs   
• BMI Healthcare    
• Guardian Jobs
• Health Service Journal
• Opportunities: The Public Sector Recruitment Weekly