A survey of NHS managers has found that their biggest worry about the next 12 months is the financial pressure facing the health service, not the government’s reforms of the NHS.

The NHS Confederation, which represents health service managers, surveyed its members in January, asking them to list in order the three issues of greatest concern over the coming year.

The survey of 279 senior managers showed that, despite the headlines about the changes to the health service, financial instability is the main worry.

Of the 252 managers who responded to the question about their concerns, two thirds said that balancing finances and making cost savings would be one of their top three concerns, with 31% saying this would be the most important. …