Pontius Pilate has never attracted much sympathy amongst Christians, for understandable reasons. But there's no disputing he had a difficult job to do - implementing unpopular policies from remote centres of power, trying to accommodate the conflicting demands of local tribal interests, and working with limited resources. Much like health service managers of today.
Around the world nurses and physios and doctors are genuinely appreciated by their patients for the individual care and attention they give.. Christians can offer an additional dimension to that care and have the privilege of ministering to patients' spiritual needs on occasions. A hospital manager rarely has that opportunity. He or she is attempting to do the best not for one individual patient but for every patient in the hospital - and for those waiting to be admitted, and even for those not yet born.
There is an in-built tension in 'the system' between managers and clinicians but they cannot serve their patients effectively without each other's help. Clinicians need managers who genuinely care - not just about balancing the budget (although that might be a measure of good stewardship) but in how staff are treated, how policies are implemented and priorities determined.
Managers need clinicians who are able to think beyond the specific needs of their specialty and their individual patients and can consider how services might be organised in a way which will benefit a much wider community within the limited resources available.
Christians who become involved in determining health policy whether in a hospital, local community, national government or even at the World Bank - can have as great an effect on wellbeing as thousands of dedicated clinical staff working in clinics and surgeries around the developing world.
We need to pray for more frontline, compassionate carers who are willing to take on leadership roles. But, in the meantime, let's not treat managers as the Pontius Pilates of healthcare. Let's pray instead for more Christian leaders and managers who really care about the health needs of the disadvantaged and are in a position to do something about them.
Around the world nurses and physios and doctors are genuinely appreciated by their patients for the individual care and attention they give.. Christians can offer an additional dimension to that care and have the privilege of ministering to patients' spiritual needs on occasions. A hospital manager rarely has that opportunity. He or she is attempting to do the best not for one individual patient but for every patient in the hospital - and for those waiting to be admitted, and even for those not yet born.
There is an in-built tension in 'the system' between managers and clinicians but they cannot serve their patients effectively without each other's help. Clinicians need managers who genuinely care - not just about balancing the budget (although that might be a measure of good stewardship) but in how staff are treated, how policies are implemented and priorities determined.
Managers need clinicians who are able to think beyond the specific needs of their specialty and their individual patients and can consider how services might be organised in a way which will benefit a much wider community within the limited resources available.
Christians who become involved in determining health policy whether in a hospital, local community, national government or even at the World Bank - can have as great an effect on wellbeing as thousands of dedicated clinical staff working in clinics and surgeries around the developing world.
We need to pray for more frontline, compassionate carers who are willing to take on leadership roles. But, in the meantime, let's not treat managers as the Pontius Pilates of healthcare. Let's pray instead for more Christian leaders and managers who really care about the health needs of the disadvantaged and are in a position to do something about them.
