FRONT-LINE NHS staff are being forced to plug gaps that should be filled by skilled admin staff and managers, a think tank has warned.

The King’s Fund said that there is now a “near record low” number of NHS managers for every member of staff, forcing clinicians to take on non-clinical duties.

Its analysis of NHS hospital and community data found there are now 33 staff for every one manager compared with 27 per manager in 2010.

Suzie Bailey, of the King’s Fund, said: “The narrative that there are too many managers does not survive contact with reality.

“What we’re seeing is an absence of the right operational support structures that leaves clinicians plugging gaps in the system that should be filled by skilled administrative and managerial staff.”

She urged the government to “value NHS managers and the vital role they play in keeping front-line staff focused on patient care, not caught up in paperwork.”

The analysis found that overall NHS staff numbers rose by 37 per cent between 2010 and 2025 — from 975,298 to 1,334,011 — while management numbers rose by just 12 per cent, from 35,696 to 40,021.

Keep Our NHS Public co-chairman Dr Tony O’Sullivan said: “An effective NHS needs skilled management, in partnership with clinical and admin staff, helping them concentrate on delivering for patients.

“Failure to provide this support means experienced clinicians giving up their patient-facing time to fill management gaps and keep systems going. It is yet another impact of over 15 years of underfunding.

“Populist politicians and media frequently attack NHS managerial staff. In reality, this deficit of managerial support represents a lack of respect for managers and clinical staff alike and, ultimately, a disregard for good and safe patient care — it is part of the undermining of the NHS.”

It comes as the all-party parliamentary group on emergency care reported that almost one in five patients in England’s A&E departments this summer were treated on trolleys or chairs in corridors.

Research for the report was compiled by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. Its president, Dr Ian Higginson, said corridor care is a source of national shame that is “distressing, undignified and putting lives at risk.”

The Department of Health said its reforms aim to attract, support and develop the best talent, including the creation of a college of executive and clinical leadership and new professional standards for NHS managers.