§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general and senior managers currently work in the NHS hospital and community health services: and how many of these have direct contact with patients. [6941]
§ Mr. MilburnThere were 20,590 whole-time equivalent senior managers and other administrative managers employed by the National Health Service Hospital and Community Health Service at 30 September 1996. Information on how many of these have direct contact with patients is not centrally available. The Government is committed to maximising the proportion of NHS resources devoted to patient care by removing the bureaucratic processes of the internal market and reducing management costs in health authorities and trusts.