Completing the picture
The vital role of support staff and managers in the NHS
For most people, the image that immediately springs to mind when they think of the NHS is doctors and nurses working in hospitals. But this isn't the whole story.
The modern NHS team is made up of many different people working in different jobs and different settings. All play a crucial role in ensuring patients receive the best care available.
UNISON and the NHS Confederation have teamed up to show the real people in these different jobs and to dispel the myths about the so-called 'army of bureaucrats' in the NHS.
Far from obstructing the work of doctors and nurses, the case studies below show how managers and support staff are vital if clinicians are to be able to deliver first-class services to patients.
Accusations that there has been a proliferation of 'pen-pushers' may make irresistible headlines. But, the claims are not only untrue, they are hugely damaging to the morale of hardworking NHS staff, and to the quality of the health debate.
We need a more honest and sophisticated debate about the real challenges facing the health service and the role of non-clinical staff within the NHS.
