I think one of the barriers is national NHS and political rhetoric that spending less on admin is a good thing. Leaders speak proudly that we only spend 1.8% of the budget on admin, when the OECD average is 3%. A mass improvement prog needs at least a bit of resource behind it. - ThreadSky

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jacoblant.bsky.social • 44 days ago

I think one of the barriers is national NHS and political rhetoric that spending less on admin is a good thing. Leaders speak proudly that we only spend 1.8% of the budget on admin, when the OECD average is 3%.

A mass improvement prog needs at least a bit of resource behind it.

Comments

tintinthinks.bsky.social•44 days ago

The territorial admin mentality - by specialist team, organisation, system geography - needs to change. It’s inefficient and creates ‘care pathways’ that often sends patients in circles. Creating One NHS should be the number one priority.

carolinejmolloy.bsky.social•44 days ago

And that figure is absolutely guff of course. Has anyone ever asked frontline staff - ie, not admin staff - what % of their time is nonetheless spent on admin? Dedicated in-house admin teams is what’s needed.

katestakes.bsky.social•44 days ago

Totally agree. The hidden cost must be huge though - not only in terms of NHS productivity but the wider socio-economic impact for patients and carers. I am very much for an outpatient care model revolution on this basis.

jacoblant.bsky.social•44 days ago

Having said that, I think the immediate reaction to this report from Gov and NHSE has already been a bit different to the past, and the acknowledgement of admin as an issue can only be a positive thing.

liminaltimes.bsky.social•44 days ago

I wonder whether part of the problem is the word “administration” - spending on which is seen as being a bad thing. And that renaming it as “treatment co-ordination” (or something similar) when related to appointments would raise the status/justify spending?

craig.nikolic.co.uk•44 days ago

Many NHS leaders “only have time for the big things”, but that means they never hear the rest.

We have extra ways to listen, and they’re mandatory parts of our weekly Ops meetings.

e.g. we do extended Friends & Family, and *every* narrative output is read. Has led us to change many processes.

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