NHS brain drain disputed

The government has introduced many reforms

Health minister Lord Hunt has dismissed claims that government meddling in the NHS is driving away frustrated senior managers.

Following the resignation of NHS chief executive, Sir Alan Langlands, five other top management figures have left the health service.

A sixth is rumoured to be close to quitting.

Under Labour politics is much more important than patient care

Dr Liam Fox, Shadow Health Secretary

Critics say managers are frustrated at the heavy-handed, top-down approach by government which leaves them little room to implement their own strategies.

The Independent newspaper quoted one unnamed chief executive as saying: "This government hasn't got a clue how to run the NHS.

"Ministers are dabbling, but at the same time they want to keep themselves a millions miles from any trouble."

Dr Liam Fox, Conservative health spokesman, accused the government of destroying morale in the NHS by demanding total control and distorting clinical priorities

He said: "Ministers' obsession with making every management decision in the NHS is forcing some of the most experienced and talented managers out of the system.

We make no apologies for wanting to shape the system so we have a true national service

Lord Phillip Hunt, Health Minister

"Under Labour politics is much more important than patient care."

However, Lord Hunt told the BBC: "This is a nonsense story, it is based on two or three chief executives getting jobs outside the NHS.

"This is just part of the normal movement of senior people in and out of the service - it is just normal career progression."

Lord Hunt said top quality people were also being recruited into the NHS.

Pushing ahead with reform

Addressing criticism that managers were not being allowed to manage, Lord Hunt said ministers were determined to reform the NHS.

They were determined to end the system of so-called postcode prescribing by which patients living in different parts of the country got a different standard of service from the NHS.

"We make no apologies for wanting to shape the system so we have a true national service.

"We want a service that is giving high quality care throughout the NHS. People are entitled to high quality, uniform service throughout the country."

Those who are to leave the NHS include:

• Tim Matthews, chief executive of Guy's and St Thomas's Trust, London
• Mike Fry, chief executive of the Christie Hospital, Manchester
• Derek Smith, chief executive of King's College NHS Trust, London

The NHS Confederation, which represents health authorities and trusts, said no conclusions should be drawn from the departure of "a few high-profile NHS leaders".

Chief executive Stephen Thornton said: "I believe there is actually more stability than in the past and there is no sense of a haemorrhage of top management from the NHS."