Pros
Working with clinicians to make a real difference for patients. The most wonderful feeling in a job in the NHS is when you capture that clinical passion for quality with your drive to succeed, and know that together you've genuinely changed something for the better. It's also fascinating learning about all the different clinical specialities. Tip: use the evidence base and ask practitioners for their views before you start. If you just go in with a set of slides full of management jargon and lots of targets with no explanation, saying "this is what you should do" unsurprisingly, you can actually see people's heels digging into the carpet. Respect people's knowledge, experience and values, and it's amazing what you can do despite political meddling.
Cons
It's getting harder and harder to do this (see above comment). Clinicians are getting more and more tired, not just with the avalanche of new 'must dos', but fewer people having to do more work over longer hours often for less money. Seeing endless reorganisations and wheel reinventions. Culture of bullying.