We need more Nurses, not Managers - OAKES

8.00.00am GMT Fri 26th Mar 2010

Graham Oakes backs local Nurses

Figures released today have revealed that the number of managers in the NHS increased by 4,748 in the last year - an increase of 12% - while the number of nurses only increased by 2%. The figures also reveal that:

• The cost of employing this many extra managers is estimated to be £230m

• There are now 44,661 managers in the NHS - an 84% increase over the last ten years

• The average annual increase in managers over the last ten years has been 4.6% - the average annual increase in nurses has been only 2.4%

Local Liberal Democrat PPC Graham Oakes commented:

"Ever since the Tories started fragmenting our NHS the amount wasted on managers has risen steadily. Sadly Labour has continued this trend with their constant reorganisations of the bureaucracy, wasting millions of pounds across the South West.

"We need more Doctors and Nurses and less managers."

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said:

"The NHS is facing the toughest financial period in its history, yet we're still seeing managers being recruited like there's no tomorrow.

"Many people will be left wondering why so much money is being spent on more NHS bureaucracy when we're in desperate need of frontline staff.

"Labour has poured huge amounts of taxpayers' money into the NHS while failing to ensure we get good value for money.

"The Budget failed to set out any credible plan for reducing costs in the NHS. Labour claimed they would make the NHS more efficient, but these figures paint a different picture.

"Only the Liberal Democrats are being honest about the scale of the challenge ahead. We will start by cutting the amount spent on admin by one third and reinvesting that money in frontline services."