They say working for the NHS is a bit like Marmite; you either love it, or you hate it. Whichever part of the NHS you work for there will always be pros and cons, just like with any job role or career path. We took a look at what some people had said about their careers, working in different departments of the NHS, to see what people really love (and hate) about the organisation.

Job Satisfaction

It seems as though every review for the NHS had ‘job satisfaction’ listed under the pros, no matter which department the employee hails from. In fact, working for the UK’s healthcare system is one of the most satisfying jobs you can do in this country. There’s nothing better than coming home from work and knowing you’ve helped a lot of people, whether that’s as a GP practice manager or a nursing assistant. It seems as though whatever is thrown at NHS employees, the job satisfaction remains high, so something must be working! It takes a certain kind of person to work in healthcare and these are obviously the people who find helping people makes them content in their job.

Budget Cuts

You knew it was coming, there’s no way of avoiding this big negative – especially as it featured in many employee’s reviews of the system. The problem with a government run organisation is that the funding only goes as far as the ‘people in charge’ says it can. This means that there may be job losses, lack of equipment, lack of funding for maintenance and so on. As a GP practice manager you may be thrown into the deep end by being given a budget half of what you’re used to, one year, and then back to normal the next. Budget cuts can make a lot of people feel uneasy, which can then put staff and patients in a bad mood. It is one big drawback of working for the NHS, but many employees handle it in their stride.

Great Colleagues

The NHS seems to draw together a lot of like minded people and this is probably why everyone gets on with each other in the workplace. Well, nearly everyone. Unlike other workplace situations there is a real sense of teamwork and camaraderie amongst those that work for the NHS. Maybe it’s because you ride out the highs and the lows together, or maybe it’s because you are all caring people. Whatever it is, we’re all jealous that you get to work with incredible people. The best thing about being in management is that you get to hire these incredible people on a regular basis!

Lack of Support

The final ‘con’ we found many people spoke about, in regards to working for the NHS, was the lack of support sometimes. There are many reviews from disgruntled employees who feel as though there isn’t enough support from high level management; from financial support to emotional support. With an organisation that employees 1.7 million people, it is likely that some people will unfortunately get left by the wayside occasionally. Those in management have a great opportunity here to ensure their staff are getting the support they need. If you’re an employee who feels as though support is lacking then make sure you’re talking to the person in charge!

These are just some of the pros and cons for working in the NHS, although we had a huge list of others. The benefits and job satisfaction that comes with working for the UK’s healthcare organisation seems to far outweigh the lows that show up once in a while. To all you men and women who make the NHS great, we salute you – thank you for loving your job!

Practice Managers Jobs Board

If you currently work in the NHS as a Practice Manager of a GP Practice in the UK, then please remember to have a look at our jobs board if you are looking for a change of job, or wanting to advertise your current position. Alternatively, if you are wanting to be a Practice Manager, then have a look at the jobs and see what you could be doing! There is also a CVs section where you can post your CV for potential GP Practices to have a look at. The jobs board can be found here:

http://practiceindex.co.uk/gp/jobs