Really Managing Health Care (Paperback) | Released: 01 Nov 2005

Praise for the first edition:
"Valerie Iles has such a sensitive no-nonsense style that she easily succeeds in seducing the reader to accept her arguments about what is going so badly wrong with management in health care ... The case studies can only be described as 'gems'... But perhaps the greatest message this book can give to the NHS, and health care managers in particular, is that change is unstoppable. All organisms must adapt with their environment or die."- Health Service Journal
"Yes! This is a book that draws heavily on real-life observations with an appropriate balance of theory and pragmatism. It tackles the challenges we all face in our everday work - managing people, change, money, ourselves and organisations."- Nursing Times
..". anyone who has a part to play in managing health services would benefit from reading it."- British Medical Journal
Much has been made of the distinction between management and leadership, but in health care this separation is unhelpful. Like the first edition, this completely revised edition of Really Managing Health Care describes a model, real management that brings the two elements together and demonstrates its application in health care settings. Drawing on theory across a wide range of management disciplines and illustrating these with practical examples, Valerie Iles succinctly answers three crucial questions: How can I manage clinical professionals?
How can I increase the influence of my service?
What changes do I need to introduce to improve the quality of care my service is offering? Written specifically for people suspicious of management jargon, Really Managing Health Care is designed for service leaders from across health and social care, and introduces ways of approaching the management task which recognize the particular dynamics of this field.
About the Author: Valerie is an independent academic consultant working in the field of health management, who introduces people to powerful ideas from a range of fields, with the aim of encouraging practitioners to use and develop relevant theory and evidence.

Initially a pharmacist, after fifteen years in many different branches of the profession Valerie completed her MBA at the London Business School and moved into general management in health care. For nine years she was the director of the Health Management Group at City University, designing three masters degree programmes, including a novel M.Phil in Health Management which integrated taught and research elements.

She now facilitates the development of individuals, teams and organisations, and teaches, writes and researches about issues at the clinical/managerial interface. She works with a number of universities and client organisations at all levels from Boards to service teams. Her consultancy and research interests include: strategic analysis and strategy development, interprofessional dynamics, the managerial role in influencing clinical quality, and managerial ethics. She particularly enjoys working with clinicians.

Her publications include the books:

Really Managing Health Care (1997 and 2005); Managing Change in the NHS, a review of the evidence, (2001), co-authored with Kim Sutherland; winner of the BAMM book of the year award, and Developing Change Management Skills (2004), co-authored with Steve Cranfield.

Valerie is an honorary senior lecturer with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and an Associate of OD Partnerships Network.