Conclusion
The NHS has no choice but to invest in its people if it is to
remain viable whilst retaining its founding principles. Whilst
it appears that the changes required to make the NHS viable
are consistently expressed, politicians and medico-political
leaders alike seem unclear as to how to deliver them. It will
be a hard sell to get government to invest in robust, multiprofessional,
ubiquitous health leadership and management
throughout the NHS, however it is a challenge we must rise
to if we wish to improve the leadership and management of
the NHS in the 21st century. We must empower all our staff
and users to change the system, even in very small ways, or
we risk continuing to be wasteful, risk further inexcusable
failures and ultimately risk failing in our duty to deliver
quality healthcare in the NHS. Without intervention the
NHS risks failing as a result of a thousand cuts; however
there is the potential to absorb these cuts and emerge as a
stronger organization by responding with a million individual
ideas delivered by those who see the problems close up: an
empowered user group and NHS staff alike.