The study was an early outcome of the Nuffield Trust's decision in 1957 to sponsor a pilot training scheme in hospital administration based on the Adult Education Department of the University of Leeds.
The object of this pilot scheme was not only to include experiments with various types of courses for administrators in the hospital service, but to also try and discover the probable demand for, as distinct from the requirements of, such courses.
Since there was no precise data available about the educational standards of administrative staff in the hospital service, a survey was begun which was eventually extended to cover four regions. The survey attempted not merely to get an indication of educational levels, but also to estimate promotional chances, prospects of movement and annual recruitment needs for the next ten years.
This report hopes to inspire philosophising about the administration of the NHS and an appraisal of what its real needs are.