York to lead new research on management in the NHS

This new initiative aligns with national strategies, including the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and the Messenger Review. It emphasises the critical role of well-developed management in addressing key healthcare challenges.

“A high performing NHS requires well-developed management capacity”, said Bryan Jones, Senior Improvement Fellow, at The Health Foundation. “Without it, the service will struggle to deliver efficient and effective services, or find the time and space to lead and support innovation and improvement or achieve lasting productivity gains.

“Despite this, we lack good evidence about the current state of NHS management capacity. The Health Foundation has commissioned this research to close the evidence gap. We’re looking forward to working with the University of York and the team, led by Professor Ian Kirkpatrick, to generate learning that will help policymakers, employers and training providers ensure that NHS managers have the support, training and infrastructure they need.”

Professor Ian Kirkpatrick, leading the project at the University of York, said, "We are excited to undertake this important research, which will help to understand how managers contribute to the spread of innovation and improve the NHS. The team includes academics and practitioners committed to providing actionable insights to bolster management capacity and capability across the healthcare system."

The project will deliver a final technical report and recommendations for further actions by Spring 2026, aiming to support the NHS in achieving sustainable and high-quality healthcare delivery.