30th July 1998

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Recent research by two academics from the University of Ulster, Professor Owen Hargie and Dr Dennis Tourish has warned that managers in the NHS need to learn lessons from the upheavals during the period of Conservative rule. Their research explored communication between managers and staff within the NHS in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Professor Hargie and Dr Tourish investigated communication in a wide range of areas, including 'acute' hospitals, community Trusts and mental health nursing Trusts.

Overall, they found that levels of satisfaction with communication had deteriorated during the period of transition to Trust status from the early to the mid-1990s. Dr Tourish said: "This was a time of great uncertainty and stress in the NHS. We found that many staff, including senior managers, felt they were kept in the dark about vital issues during this period. However, people are now becoming more satisfied with communication, as the changes introduced have bedded down and gained wider acceptance."

This research found that good communication improves morale and job satisfaction. Staff wanted more information, wanted to meet more often with senior managers and wanted their voices to be heard when decisions were being taken. Professor Hargie and Dr Tourish pointed to one Trust they worked with where, when steps were taken to meet these needs, people were five times more satisfied than they were before.

Professor Hargie said: "The critical success ingredients are a serious commitment by top managers to sharing information swiftly and accurately from the top to the bottom of the organisation, and ensuring that staff opinions are listened to when decisions are being taken. It is crucial that these lessons are taken on board during the changes that are planned within the NHS in the near future."

The full research findings are published in "Communication between Manager and Staff in the NHS: Trends and Prospects" British Journal of Management, Vol 9 53-71 (1998)

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk