NHS frontline staff forced to ‘plug gaps that should be filled by managers’

NHS staff on the frontline are being forced to plug gaps in services that should be filled by skilled managers and admin staff, according to a new report.

Despite a widespread perception that the health service is beleaguered by a top-heavy structure, new research by the King’s Fund suggests that there are now a “near record low” number of NHS managers for each member of staff.

According to its analysis of NHS hospital and community data, there are now 33 staff members for each manager, compared to 27 staff in 2010.

“The narrative that there are too many managers does not survive contact with reality,” said Suzie Bailey, director of leadership and organisational development at the King’s Fund.

Skilled clinical professionals are being forced to spend hours each week “chasing paperwork, managing rotas or navigating broke administrative systems”, she said.

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Source: The Independent, 10 November 2025