Frontline NHS staff are being compelled to perform crucial managerial and administrative duties, diverting them from vital patient care, according to a damning new report.
Record Low Manager Numbers Expose Service Strain
Contrary to the popular belief of a top-heavy health service, research by the King's Fund think tank indicates the NHS now has a 'near record low' number of managers for each member of staff. Their analysis of NHS hospital and community data shows there are now 33 staff members for every one manager, a significant increase from the ratio of 27 staff per manager in 2010.
Suzie Bailey, Director of Leadership and Organisational Development at the King's Fund, stated bluntly: "The narrative that there are too many managers does not survive contact with reality."
Clinical Hours Wasted on Paperwork and Broken Systems
The report highlights that skilled clinical professionals, including doctors and nurses, are losing hours each week to tasks such as chasing paperwork, managing staff rotas, and navigating broken administrative systems. This is a direct result of the growing scarcity of managerial support.
The data reveals a stark contrast in staffing growth. Between 2010 and 2025, the total number of NHS staff grew by an impressive 37 per cent, from 975,298 to 1,334,011. However, over the same period, the number of managers rose by only 12 per cent, from 35,696 to 40,021.
"It is no wonder burnout rates are so high and staff satisfaction is so low when clinical staff are being stretched beyond their roles, filling admin gaps on top of already excessive workloads," Ms Bailey added.
Call for Investment Amid Wider NHS Crisis
Ms Bailey argued that the solution is not to denigrate managers but to provide investment and support and commit to professionalising leadership within the NHS. She emphasised that high-quality management is vital for patient experience.
"Government must value NHS managers and the vital role they play in keeping frontline staff focused on patient care, not caught up in paperwork," she concluded.
The report emerges as Health Secretary Wes Streeting prepares to address NHS leaders at the NHS Providers' conference in Manchester. Last year, Mr Streeting pledged to tackle "failing" managers by denying them pay rises.
This managerial crisis compounds other severe pressures on the health service. A separate report by an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Emergency Care found that 19 per cent of hospital patients, equating to one in five, are being cared for in corridors. Dr Ian Higginson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, labelled this corridor care "a source of national shame," noting it is "distressing, undignified and it's putting lives at risk."
In response, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson stated the importance of having "skilled managers in the right roles" and pointed to ongoing NHS reforms. "We are reforming the NHS to make it fit for the future – attracting, supporting and developing the best talent to boost productivity and divert resources back to the front line," the statement said, also citing the introduction of NHS league tables to drive up standards.
