Sep 12

Why the need for investment in NHS manager training is bigger than ever

If you work in the NHS, you’ll be no stranger to the argument that NHS management needs more investment. Sure, there is a great deal of training available - but is it the kind of training that provides tangible results and resource toolkits that really enable your team to perform their role better and enhance their performance?

With ongoing and arguably increasing challenges in the NHS, upskilling and investment in learning and development can make all the difference – and, more than that, it can be fun, engaging and interactive.

Yes, really, learning can be fun! 

A focus on investment 

Matthew Taylor, CEO of the NHS Confederation, wrote an article for the Financial Times last year in which he argued that ‘...the weight of evidence suggests many of the NHS’s challenges reflect a lack of investment in management’.

Sound familiar? Well, this was also a key point in 2022’s wide-ranging and landmark Messenger Review, which found that investment into upskilling managers was just as vital as the introduction of any new regulation.

In this area, there is a clear opportunity for you, as an NHS Trust, to get ahead of the game by investing in the learning and development of your managers.

Although we’re now in the latter half of 2024, the Messenger Review and Taylor’s FT article are still highly relevant as further investment and work still needs to happen in this particular area.  


A key part of the long-term workforce plan 

We know that training is going to be increasingly important to the NHS. In last year’s long-awaited long-term workforce plan – the first in its now 76-year history – ‘train’ was outlined as one of the three key priority areas alongside ‘retain’ and ‘reform’. Music to your ears, no doubt?

The ambition is to significantly increase education and training to record levels, something I think we can all get on board with.

While we have had a change of government recently, Labour have said nothing about changing the goals of the long-term workforce plan that was released by the Rishi Sunak-era government after many frustrating years of delay and dithering.

In fact, in its manifesto before the election, the party said: “We will deliver the NHS long-term workforce plan to train the staff we need to get patients seen on time.”

Just what we wanted to hear. And it means that, over the next few years, there is likely to continue to be a clear focus on the upskilling of managers.

Promisingly, the desire from staff is clearly there. In a recent poll we conducted on LinkedIn, some 57% strongly agreed that they don’t currently have access to the training and development they need.

So, the thirst for knowledge is undeniable – and we can work together to sate it. 

A learning and development gap 

What we also know, of course, is there is a clear gap when it comes to providing the training and development managers require. Check out these quick (and startling!) stats for starters: 

  • 39% of leaders and managers in the healthcare sector as a whole do not have any leadership or management qualifications (Source: A picture of health, CMI and the Social Market Foundation)
  •  63% of training offered to middle managers was unaccredited compared to 50% for senior managers (Source: ibid)
  • 45% of NHS staff feel there are insufficient opportunities to develop their careers within their organisation (Source: NHS Staff Survey)
  • 40% of staff report being unable to access the necessary learning and development opportunities when needed (Source: NHS Staff Survey)

 Concerning, right? But certainly not insurmountable. As we said in our previous blog, we have the tools to plant those learning seeds that will allow your managers to thrive. 

Let’s now explore how. 

Changing the future 

As a team led by ex-NHS leaders, we really get that access to high-quality, bespoke training and e-learning courses can be hard to come by.


We feel your pain and we’re determined to change that. To provide bite-sized learning for the next generation of NHS managers, in a fun, interactive and engaging way that provides a toolkit of effective resources; making a tangible difference to how your teams work on a day-to-day basis.

At the same time, we are able to host bespoke training on our platform, or work with you to create tailored training (produced with NHS frontline experts), to improve the learning and development of your managers.

The brainchild of Karina Malhotra - founder and managing director of Acumentice, and a former NHS manager herself - evolve learning is creating a healthier NHS by providing time-poor managers with bespoke, targeted courses that allow for personal and professional improvement, delivered in easy to manage chunks, so it can work around the needs of your team.

We want to help facilitate a learning environment that is fully interactive, caters to all learning styles, keeps people fully engaged throughout, and helps your managers to be at the forefront of best practice in the NHS. This, in terms of improving productivity, morale and knowledge, will help to create a healthier, better functioning healthcare system in the UK. Win-win!


Perhaps more than anything, one of our biggest ambitions is to ensure the courses we create have a lasting impact, to create long-term change in the NHS rather than more short-term fixes and sticking plasters.

Whichever approach you decide to take, your managers will receive regular check-ins throughout their learning. All users will be encouraged to set smart goals, and we will follow up on how they are getting on with these goals, plus offering further coaching to those who want to go the extra mile.

We believe this is key to ensuring ongoing learning and development that leaves a sustainable legacy, and ultimately lessens the need for further investment in the future.

Sound good? Please get in touch with us to find out more!