Health service manager Job Information | National Careers Service

The work

As a health service manager, your duties could include:

• supervising staff and taking responsibility for the work they do
• dealing with day-to-day operational matters
• using statistical information to monitor performance and help with long term planning
• setting and maintaining budgets
• creating and carrying out the company objectives
• implementing the policies of the board, making sure government guidelines are followed
• working with clinical staff and other professionals
• managing contracts.

Your role could range from chief executive of a large hospital to manager of a GP surgery. You could also be a manager within the ambulance service, community health service (Primary Care Trust) or a strategic health authority (local NHS headquarters, monitoring service and performance of local NHS Trusts).

Alternatively, you could specialise in an area such as personnel and finance, or clinical, therapeutic or technical support.

Hours

You would usually work around 37 hours a week, however, at times you may need to work longer hours to meet deadlines. Job share arrangements are sometimes available.

If you work in a hospital with a 24-hour service, you may need to work a shift system or an on-call, out-of-hours rota to cover emergencies.

You will be based mainly in an office, with some occasional travel for meetings, training courses and conferences.

Income

On completion of a graduate scheme, you can earn between £27,000 to £37,000 a year. Directors and chief executives can earn between £90,000 and £100,000.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

There are a number of ways you could get into health service management. The most direct route is through one of the NHS Graduate Management Training Schemes. To get on to a scheme, you will need a degree (minimum grade 2:2) or an equivalent qualification in a health or management related subject. Check the training and development section below for more information.

• NHS Graduate Management Training Schemes

Alternative routes into health service management include:

• working your way up from an administrative post by taking in-service training courses such as those run by the Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM) – to start as an administrator you are likely to need four or five GCSEs (grade A-C) and possibly A levels
• applying directly to the NHS for a junior management position – for this you will usually need a degree plus management experience
• taking an in-service training programme leading to a Certificate or Diploma in Managing Health and Social Care – for this you will usually need to be working within the NHS in a clinical role (or a profession related to health).

You can also check the IHM and NHS Careers websites for more details of schemes, training programmes and alternative entry qualifications.

• Institute of Healthcare Management
• NHS Careers

Training and development

Your training will vary depending on the route you take to become a health service manager. Joining on an NHS graduate scheme, your training could involve:

• (on a General Management Training Scheme) a three-month period working outside the NHS with another healthcare organisation and studying for a qualification like a Masters in Health and Public Leadership
• (on a Financial Management Scheme) working towards a professional accountancy qualification, such as CIMA or CIPFA
• (on a Human Resources Management Scheme) studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources and graduate membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
• (on a Informatics Management Scheme) developing creative ways to use IT to improve patient care and working towards a postgraduate qualification in Health Informatics.

These programmes take between two and three years to complete and combine work experience with theoretical study. Check the NHS Graduate Scheme website for details.

• NHS Graduate Scheme

When you have been working as a manager for around two years, you can apply to become a member of the IHM, which will give you access to a range of professional development opportunities.

• Institute of Healthcare Management

Similar schemes for both general and financial management are run in Wales (Leadership Development Scheme) and Northern Ireland (Health and Social Services Management Scheme).

Skills and knowledge

To be a health service manager you should have:

• a flexible approach with the ability to cope with constant change
• good problem solving skills
• financial management and maths skills for budget control and cost analysis
• strong written and spoken communication skills
• the ability to give presentations and deal with the press
• the ability to motivate others to meet deadlines
• leadership skills
• good negotiation skills
• the ability to explain complex issues clearly to a wide range of audiences
• a good understanding of issues surrounding confidentiality
• the ability to deal with stress.

More information

NHS Graduate Training Schemes
www.nhsgraduates.co.uk/About-the-NHS

NHS Careers
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

Health Learning and Skills Advice Line
Tel: 08000 150850

Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM)
21 Morley Street
London
SE1 7QZ
Tel: 020 7620 1030
www.ihm.org.uk

Opportunities

You could work in the NHS or private healthcare sector. You could also be based in the community, for example with larger GP practices or in a health centre, working for a Primary Care Trust commissioning local health services.

With experience and when you have completed training, such as the Finance Management Scheme or the General Management Scheme, you could progress to a senior management post. You may also find opportunities overseas.

Jobs in this area may decrease in the future as many NHS hospitals are now part of larger NHS Trusts with flatter management structures.

You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading (links open in new window):

• NHS Jobs
• A-Z list of NHS Trusts