Everywhere you look in local government these days you seem to find change managers. This week is no exception, and once again a recruitment agency is masking the identity of an unnamed London borough council wishing to appoint a Temporary Change Manager paying between £281-£350 a day.
Another London council, meanwhile, is looking to appoint an Interim Programme Manager who will take the lead and get a grip of the Parking Commissioning project. Once again we don't know which council it is, but we do know the successful candidate will be paid between £400-£450 a day.
Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH) is looking for a Head of Communications and Engagement. Here's part of the job description:
Reporting to the Director of Strategy and Business Development the Head of Communications and Engagement will be an expert in communications and engagement. You will lead on the development and implementation of the corporate internal and external communications and involvement activities including development of long term strategy and policy, reputation management, media and community liaison.
I suppose it would be useful for the Head of Communications and Engagement to be an expert in communications and engagement, otherwise what would be the point of appointing them to a role paying between £60,671-£73,351 a year?
Of course I accept there has to be people employed to handle media enquiries and contact with the public, but the primary role of the NHS is to heal the sick. If this Trust has a head of communications earning over £70K a year, how large is the team beneath them? How many communications officers are there in London? How many are there in the UK? During the last general election campaign, Nick Clegg stated we now have more bureaucrats and administrators in the NHS than we have hospital beds!
It strikes me that the NHS is over-reaching itself, employing people on large salaries to put a good spin on the work of the Trust. What I want is to be able to visit my GP, and if I need to see a specialist to get an appointment in good time, and if there are any problems for my complaint to be handled promptly. This does not require the services of a Head of Communications and Engagement earning over £70K to fob me off with excuses when things go wrong.