MSc

MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS)

Board packs, winter pressure, and integration joint boards—NHS management literacy, not NMC registration.

Online or on campus

18 months36 creditsEnglish (dual pathway: Edinburgh campus or tuition-free online; one academic standard)

Overview

UK health services fail in flow, workforce, and governance that treats a target as a fact. This degree starts there. You will map an unscheduled-care pathway as a management problem—beds, social care packages, and who owns the delay—not as a protocol you are not qualified to write. Scottish cases sit beside English NHS structures so you can say which instrument you are actually using: a territorial board, an IJB, an ICS, or a national performance framework. University of Brigant’s dual pathway means the Edinburgh seminar and the online seminar are the same construct. Identity-checked assessment, the same reading list, the same refusal to market this as a nursing degree with a pretty hospital photograph. Faculty will mark whether you can brief a board on harm, money, and industrial relations without claiming a PIN you do not have. The award is academic. It is not NMC, not UKPHR, not a consultant contract. It is for service managers, analysts, and clinical staff already registered elsewhere who need systems literacy. Capstones must use an anonymised service dataset or a publicly documented winter/board paper, not a global-health essay that never leaves a generic ‘health system’. MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS) is taught as one award, not a list of unrelated modules. The published length is 18 months, and the credit total is 36. Students move from Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators through Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators; Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks; Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants; Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System; Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity; Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification, and finish on Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs. Each course has a question, a method, and a submission. In this field, students describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm. Reading is a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. The artefact a marker expects is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. The award is built so that a graduate can do the following in practice: Draft a board paper that separates harm, money, and industrial relations Diagnose delayed discharge as a system, not a ward anecdote Read Scottish and English NHS governance instruments without mixing them Teaching assumes the student can read a source, attempt a problem before the seminar, and revise after feedback. Attendance at live seminars is part of the design. The capstone or final course must use the methods of the earlier courses; a project that ignores them does not pass. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. The pages for each course name the topics that are examined. Those topics are the syllabus. A brochure line is not a substitute for them.

Thirty-six credits: NHS architecture and law in practice, flow and winter operations, workforce and money, and a supervised service-management capstone. Dual-pathway parity is assessed, not advertised as a slogan. No NMC, RCN, or NHS identity is used as if the University of Brigant were an official training pipeline.

Who This Programme Is For

NHS and health-and-social-care managers who are not seeking nursing registration through this award
Board-support, planning, and performance analysts in territorial boards or IJBs
Local-authority and third-sector partners sitting on delayed-discharge and integration work
Clinicians already registered who want management literacy without a second clinical qualification

How you can study

Recommended

Study online

100% tuition-free online

Online tuition is free. Online examinations are free. There is no exam fee for online study.

✦ Tuition: £0 / $0
✦ Examinations are free. There is no exam fee.
✦ Learn from anywhere · Live online seminars

Apply online →

On-campus study

Study at our campus

Prefer to learn at our Edinburgh campus? Campus tuition and campus examinations are charged. The published campus price is on each programme page.

✦ Tuition: £9,500 / US$12,000/year
✦ Location: 3 Lady Lawson St, Edinburgh EH3 9DS, United Kingdom
✦ Campus examinations are charged
✦ In-person seminars, library & student services

Apply for campus →

What You Will Learn

Draft a board paper that separates harm, money, and industrial relations
Diagnose delayed discharge as a system, not a ward anecdote
Read Scottish and English NHS governance instruments without mixing them
Design a winter or surge plan as operations, not as clinical protocol-writing
State NMC and clinical boundaries in every public description of the degree

Curriculum

Module 1: NHS architecture in the UK and Scotland

Code	Course	Credits · hours
UOB521	Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators (UOB521) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. UOB521-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators UOB521-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators UOB521-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators UOB521-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators UOB521-M5 · Service design for a named population — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators UOB521-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators	3 · 30 h
UOB522	Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks (UOB522) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. UOB522-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks UOB522-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks UOB522-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks UOB522-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks UOB522-M5 · Service design for a named population — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks UOB522-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks	3 · 30 h
UOB523	Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants (UOB523) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. UOB523-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants UOB523-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants UOB523-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants UOB523-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants UOB523-M5 · Service design for a named population — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants UOB523-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants	3 · 30 h

Code

Course

Credits · hours

UOB521

Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators

Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators (UOB521) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.

UOB521-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators
UOB521-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators
UOB521-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators
UOB521-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators
UOB521-M5 · Service design for a named population — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators
UOB521-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Territorial Boards, IJBs, and English ICS Comparators

3 · 30 h

UOB522

Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks

Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks (UOB522) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.

UOB522-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks
UOB522-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks
UOB522-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks
UOB522-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks
UOB522-M5 · Service design for a named population — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks
UOB522-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Statute, Directions, and Performance Frameworks

3 · 30 h

UOB523

Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants

Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants (UOB523) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.

UOB523-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants
UOB523-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants
UOB523-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants
UOB523-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants
UOB523-M5 · Service design for a named population — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants
UOB523-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Patient Safety Governance for Non-Registrants

3 · 30 h

Module 2: Flow, winter, and unscheduled care

Code	Course	Credits · hours
UOB525	Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System (UOB525) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. UOB525-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System UOB525-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System UOB525-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System UOB525-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System UOB525-M5 · Service design for a named population — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System UOB525-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System	3 · 30 h
UOB526	Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity (UOB526) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. UOB526-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity UOB526-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity UOB526-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity UOB526-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity UOB526-M5 · Service design for a named population — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity UOB526-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity	3 · 30 h
UOB527	Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification (UOB527) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. UOB527-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification UOB527-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification UOB527-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification UOB527-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification UOB527-M5 · Service design for a named population — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification UOB527-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification	3 · 30 h

Code

Course

Credits · hours

UOB525

Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System

Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System (UOB525) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.

UOB525-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System
UOB525-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System
UOB525-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System
UOB525-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System
UOB525-M5 · Service design for a named population — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System
UOB525-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Delayed Discharge as a Multi-Agency System

3 · 30 h

UOB526

Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity

Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity (UOB526) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.

UOB526-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity
UOB526-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity
UOB526-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity
UOB526-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity
UOB526-M5 · Service design for a named population — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity
UOB526-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Winter Plans, Surge, and Honest Capacity

3 · 30 h

UOB527

Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification

Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification (UOB527) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.

UOB527-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification
UOB527-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification
UOB527-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification
UOB527-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification
UOB527-M5 · Service design for a named population — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification
UOB527-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Planned Care Backlogs and Harm Stratification

3 · 30 h

Module 3: Workforce, money, and industrial relations

Code	Course	Credits · hours
UOB529	Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre (UOB529) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. UOB529-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre UOB529-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre UOB529-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre UOB529-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre UOB529-M5 · Service design for a named population — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre UOB529-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre	3 · 30 h
UOB530	Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs (UOB530) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can read a set of figures, build a small case, and state which assumption moves the result, using Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses financial statements, a recognition note, and a risk report. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a recommendation that separates the decision, the numbers, and the risk. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer an accounting, audit, or financial-services licence. UOB530-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs UOB530-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs UOB530-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs UOB530-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs UOB530-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs UOB530-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs	3 · 30 h
UOB531	Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records (UOB531) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. UOB531-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records UOB531-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records UOB531-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records UOB531-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records UOB531-M5 · Service design for a named population — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records UOB531-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records	3 · 30 h

Code

Course

Credits · hours

UOB529

Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre

Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre (UOB529) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.

UOB529-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre
UOB529-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre
UOB529-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre
UOB529-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre
UOB529-M5 · Service design for a named population — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre
UOB529-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Agenda for Change Literacy without HR Theatre

3 · 30 h

UOB530

Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs

Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs (UOB530) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can read a set of figures, build a small case, and state which assumption moves the result, using Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses financial statements, a recognition note, and a risk report. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a recommendation that separates the decision, the numbers, and the risk. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer an accounting, audit, or financial-services licence.

UOB530-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs
UOB530-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs
UOB530-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs
UOB530-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs
UOB530-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs
UOB530-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Financial Recovery Plans that Name Trade-Offs

3 · 30 h

UOB531

Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records

Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records (UOB531) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.

UOB531-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records
UOB531-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records
UOB531-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records
UOB531-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records
UOB531-M5 · Service design for a named population — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records
UOB531-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Whistleblowing, Duty of Candour, and Management Records

3 · 30 h

Module 4: Capstone

Code	Course	Credits · hours
UOB533	Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards (UOB533) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can read a set of figures, build a small case, and state which assumption moves the result, using Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses financial statements, a recognition note, and a risk report. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a recommendation that separates the decision, the numbers, and the risk. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer an accounting, audit, or financial-services licence. UOB533-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards UOB533-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards UOB533-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards UOB533-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards UOB533-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards UOB533-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards	3 · 30 h
UOB534	Research Methods for Service Management Research Methods for Service Management (UOB534) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Research Methods for Service Management as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. UOB534-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Research Methods for Service Management UOB534-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Research Methods for Service Management UOB534-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Research Methods for Service Management UOB534-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Research Methods for Service Management UOB534-M5 · Service design for a named population — Research Methods for Service Management UOB534-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Research Methods for Service Management	3 · 30 h
UOB535	Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs (UOB535) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession. UOB535-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs UOB535-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs UOB535-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs UOB535-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs UOB535-M5 · Service design for a named population — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs UOB535-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs	3 · 30 h

Code

Course

Credits · hours

UOB533

Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards

Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards (UOB533) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can read a set of figures, build a small case, and state which assumption moves the result, using Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses financial statements, a recognition note, and a risk report. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a recommendation that separates the decision, the numbers, and the risk. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer an accounting, audit, or financial-services licence.

UOB533-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards
UOB533-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards
UOB533-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards
UOB533-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards
UOB533-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards
UOB533-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Public and Political Accountability of Health Boards

3 · 30 h

UOB534

Research Methods for Service Management

Research Methods for Service Management (UOB534) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Research Methods for Service Management as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.

UOB534-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Research Methods for Service Management
UOB534-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Research Methods for Service Management
UOB534-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Research Methods for Service Management
UOB534-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Research Methods for Service Management
UOB534-M5 · Service design for a named population — Research Methods for Service Management
UOB534-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Research Methods for Service Management

3 · 30 h

UOB535

Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs

Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs (UOB535) is a 3-credit course on MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS), with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm, using Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.

UOB535-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs
UOB535-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs
UOB535-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs
UOB535-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs
UOB535-M5 · Service design for a named population — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs
UOB535-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Writing for Non-Executives and Integration Chairs

3 · 30 h

Career Paths

Service manager / general manager (NHS or partner; not NMC via this award)
Performance and planning analyst
Integration or delayed-discharge programme officer
Board-support and governance officer
Health operations consultant (academic award)

Programme Highlights

Explicit non-NMC, non-RN marketing
Scottish board and IJB cases plus UK comparators
Edinburgh campus or tuition-free online, same standard
Winter-plan and flow literacy
No fake NHS endorsement logos

Assessment

Modules are assessed through a published mix of coursework, applied projects, and examinations. Exam windows are announced in advance so students in other time zones are not forced into overnight sittings. Alternative arrangements are available where documented.

Admission requirements

Academic entry

Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution (minimum 2:2 / GPA 2.5/4.0 or equivalent national scale)
Identity document for remote identity-checked assessment enrolment
Preferred: work in health or social-care management, analysis, or board support (clinical registration not required and not conferred)

English language

English proficiency: IELTS 5.5, TOEFL 46, or equivalent (waived for prior English-medium study). Dual-pathway applicants state Edinburgh campus or tuition-free online as primary mode without changing academic standards. Gaelic/Scots programmes may require additional language evidence as stated on the programme page.

Documents

Statement of Purpose (500 words minimum) stating goals, professional context, and fit
Two academic or professional references with verifiable contact details
CV or résumé covering education and relevant work
Official transcripts (digital copies accepted at application; certified copies before award)

Programme questions

How long is the MSc Health Service Management (UK/NHS)?

The published duration is 18 months. Teaching language: English (dual pathway: Edinburgh campus or tuition-free online; one academic standard). Actual time-to-complete depends on mode and any recognised prior learning.

Can I study this from my country?

You may study this award fully online from your country, or — where published — on campus at Brigant. Online study does not require a student visa. Campus study may.

What does it cost?

Degree tuition for this award is published as £0 / tuition-free on the online pathway. Examination or administrative fees may apply at checkout — never an annual tuition invoice. Check the Fees page for any extras.

What are the entry requirements?

Requirements are grouped on this page (academic, English, documents). Equivalent qualifications are considered. English may be waived after prior English-medium study.

How is the programme assessed?

Assessment is typically a mix of coursework, projects, and examinations. Doctoral awards include a thesis or dissertation and an oral examination. Details sit in the programme specification and module outlines.

Will this award be recognised where I live?

Recognition of the award for local employment, professional licence, or ministry attestation is decided by your employer or regulator. University of Brigant publishes verification pages for certificates. We do not claim automatic equivalence in every country.

How do I apply?

Start an application on this website. Progress is saved from the first step. Admissions: admissions@brigant.uk.

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