NHS ops manager - anyone else really struggling?

[Yikitty]

I have 5 tumour sites under me. Incredible 65 week pressure. One manager off long term sick (I’m backfilling his role).

Im working every morning 5-7 log on, a full day and then logging on every night to clear the decks for the next day.

Im not sure how long I can sustain this - I haven’t taken leave since July.

65 weeks is killing me. Please tell me your coping strategies or just a tip to get through the day because right now I’m struggling to get up and I should have 30 mins ago

You need to put your foot down and stop filling in for a failing system.

If you continue to prop it up by breaking yourself they will continue to do it.

You are disposable to them. I learned the hard way although not NHS.

Practically what would putting my foot down look like?

the more you do it the more you will be expected to do it! so stop doing it!! simple

Putting your foot down is working your contracted hours, no more. If you burn out and go off sick, they’ll have to find someone to cover your role. Likewise, take your annual leave.

Exactly this. Stop trying to do it all. Sometimes you have to let things fall down before anything will change. And even then maybe in the NHS things won't change but you'll no longer be killing yourself. It's work.

DH was an NHS Ops Manager. It was awful. The rhetoric that there are too many managers in the NHS is bollocks. There are too few and that’s part of the reason things are shit.
DH went back to clinical. Is that an option? Either that or stop caring so much 😓

What grade are you? That is insane. I’m not an ops manager but have to deliver ops frequently within my NHS clinical role.

You need to put your foot down to your Div Manager. Only work your contracted hours - you are 100% disposable and they would forget you within a month if you burned out/left. It’s depressing but true.

I’m the person they bring in when everything falls down.

I came into a truly broken division - I’ve never seen anything like it before. This is such a slog and feels like one step forward two steps back constantly.

Management posts have been CIP’d to hit financial targets - I have sickness at every level - everybody has issues which need attention because they’ve been left for so long.

The phrase “I’m sorry I know you’re really busy but….”

The joy is absolutely been sucked out of me

Book some leave for as soon as you can and take some time off. Claim your TOIL. Let the system break.

You are trying to survive for several possible reasons 1) it's your career 2) people will consider you a failure if you can't cope 3) loyalty to colleagues 4) responsibility for patient care.

You won't survive and when you break it will be unexpectedly and damaging to all of the above. Take action now to prevent an inevitable collapse. You need to email your manager or manager's manager and say you are at breaking point and can't continue. Next step EAP or OH

Not an op's manager, a band 6 NHS clinician who has deliberately not gone any higher within the NHS because I can see how much of a shit show it often is!

You can't do everything, cover yourself by making sure that you've put in writing that it's impossible to cover everything and ask what they want you to prioritse within your hours and follow this. Keep your manager updated in writing. Book your annual leave too and take it. If needed/you want to make it clear you need to take it before you burn out and end up off sick.

Unfortunately (and maybe this is wrong) but what I see is that nhs management are forced to prioritise things that aren't supporting staff and patients/service delivery and then staff they support give up, go on sick leave themselves which increases the pressure on management and in turn other staff. I don't envy your job!

Firstly, what you are doing is very admirable and I can tell you clearly want to do an amazing job.

Some time off would be beneficial to reflect and I think it is very much important for your mental health. As a mental health first aider in my workplace I have seen employees burn out. They are often unaware of burnout, anxiety/ depression as these mental health issues come on gradually and often slowly build to the point an individual can't cope. I wouldn't want this to happen to you and so I would first take a week off and then secondary to this look at some mental wellbeing or resilience courses. Perhaps your workplace offers them?

Good luck and I hope things improve

I’m also an nhs manager and oversee a division. I understand the pressure you’re describing - it’s very real. The drive to ‘eliminate’ waits of over 65 weeks at speed is well intentioned for patients but not well considered in terms of how services achieve this and balance other priorities.

That being said, you need to talk to your divisional leadership. If they’re any good they will recognise that working like this isn’t sustainable or safe. Most of us see that real improvement comes from supporting high performing, well balanced teams to make solid day to day improvement, not a rescue mission.

I would hope a team member who was feeling like this would talk to me ( I also hope I’d spot it before it became an issue!), so I would take a deep breath and knock on their door and say I think I’m going to need some support and advice as I can’t keep this going.

If the answer isn’t helpful then the issue isn’t the work it’s the people.

Thank you. 65 weeks is relentless. As soon as we clear one month it’s all hands to the deck for the next. Cancer performance is suffering - there’s no two ways about it, we’re having to make difficult decisions everyday.

I can knock on the door. I know I can. Some of this pressure is coming from knowing I’m the “go to” person when departments are in trouble - I’m not the one who says actually I can’t do this. I feel like if I could “just fix this bit” then that bit will fall into place but the second I turn around something else is burning down!

The message is help is coming just hold the line for a bit longer. I need key people back but they are so broken even if they return it’s going to be light touch for good while.

I feel better just for venting here, I spend all day telling everyone it’s fine and it’s all going to be ok!

If you go off sick there is no holding the line. You'll be off for a prolonged period too if you do go.