NHS

I would have agreed with her.

I'd have asked her what made her say that.

If she can provide some evidence then perhaps you might agree with her. If she can't and you have evidence to the contrary maybe she might see your point.

If she just said it with no evidence then I can see how you might wonder what had made her say it.

I've worked in an HR department where my final job was to make everyone in the department, myself including redundant. We literally turned the lights off on the way out.

People always seem to think management isn't needed. Would be chaos without it. The NHS actually spends less on admin/management than other big organisations as a percentage of their budget. It is an easy target.

I was a senior HR manager, I remember having meetings with staff where there would be moans and groans about how things were done. Eventually I suggested they nominated 2 people to come and represent them in HR for a month. Both dropped out within days, it is easy to moan but when you present them with the problem and they are expected to find a solution rather than moan about it they don't seem so keen to be involved.

I was placed in the "Management Corridor" of our local hospital when temping and it was the only placement I asked to be removed from!! Couldn't believe the wastage I was seeing and the attitude of staff. Funnily enough I wasn't asked to sign the usual disclosure form so I could have blown the whistle but what was the point? I could see it was entrenched and I was "only the temp"! This was over 7 years ago so I dread to think what the situation is now!!

My sister works for the NHS in admin. She tells some stories of too many managers and waste that would make your hair curl.

DH worked for the NHS for almost 50 years and by the time he retired had seen the team managing his work go from 1 person to about 12. One of them even asked what his job title actually meant.

I’m afraid I’ve thought that for a long time. Too many (highly paid) chiefs etc. Why on earth would you find it difficult to talk to her (assuming you’re not one of the pen pushers)? I really don’t understand where you’re coming from.

I have a few family members and friends working frontline NHS who’ve said similar things and I pointed out that turkeys don’t vote for Christmas!

I’ve also worked in places where HR decided on redundancies in different departments but never their own! ‘Twas ever thus.

Having worked in the field for 2 decades, I have first hand experience of NHS budgets and how they're used. Your sister isn't as wrong as you think she is.

Well she may well have a point. Why would you find it difficult to talk with her since?