Really Managing Health Care

More and more health care professionals are being asked to take on managerial responsibilities. At the same time the pressure on people and resources increases unremittingly and the need for good management increases with it. Really Managing Health Care draws a distinction between traditional management in health care and real management, arguing that the former concentrates on activities which are complicated but easy whereas the latter requires a commitment to principles which are simple but hard. It introduces health care professionals to a wide range of basic management concepts and demonstrates their application within healthcare. Really Managing Health Care is written specifically for people suspicious of management jargon. It proposes that all health professionals have an interest in developing their skills in real management, and that in doing so they will enhance their clinical skills. It explores the parallels between good clinical and good managerial practice and suggests that clinical effectiveness suffers wherever the principles of real management are not adopted throughout the healthcare organization. Failure to observe these principles, the author argues, is as evident at the top of these organizations as anywhere else.