Health services manager : Job description

A health service manager is responsible for the provision and commissioning of local health care through the management of hospital, general practitioner (GP) and community health services. Managers liaise with clinical and non-clinical staff and staff in partner organisations, whilst considering the demands of political policy and local circumstances.

There is a huge range of managerial roles within health services, including those in finance, human resources (HR), clinical management, staff management, project management and procurement, information management, facilities management, and operational management.

Most jobs are in NHS settings, with opportunities also increasing in the private health care sector.

Typical work activities

Managers in both the National Health Service (see NHS Careers  and the private sector are required to manage the cost, delivery and quality of health care services.

Depending on the department or the specific nature of the role, tasks may involve:

• liaising and negotiating with medical and non-medical staff internally (often at the most senior levels), and with people in external
• organisations, e.g., social services, voluntary groups or the private sector;
• managing clinical, professional, clerical and administrative staff;
• managing the recruitment, selection, appraisal and development of staff;
• overseeing the day-to-day management of an organisation, a specific unit or a service area; 
• implementing new policies and directives;
• gathering and analysing data and using it to plan and manage both projects and systems;
• working towards ensuring quality and value for money for patients;
• extrapolating data for quality assurance and monitoring purposes;
• setting budgets and maintaining finances within tight constraints;
• planning and implementing strategic changes to improve service delivery;
• attending meetings, writing reports and delivering presentations to a variety of audiences;
• clinical governance and audit;
• sitting on committees and representing the views of departments and teams;
• handling communications and corporate affairs;
• managing premises, catering, cleaning, portering and security (often via sub-contractors);
• purchasing equipment and supplies, and organising stores;
• using computers to manage information and financial data, and to analyse and measure performance;
• supporting ICT systems and planning new provision and development, sometimes for major projects.