Wes Streeting Cuts NHS HQ Staff Numbers In Half

Plans to cut staff numbers in half at NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care were revealed yesterday amid drastic cost-cutting steps.

The 'bonfire of bureaucrats' is targeted at removing duplication across the organisations after their workforces swelled during the pandemic.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is likewise looking for to tighten his control over the NHS, deliver better value for taxpayers and free-up cash for the frontline.

Three more NHS England board members yesterday revealed they will give up at the end of this month, following the recent resignations of president Amanda Pritchard and nationwide medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.

The latest leaders to sign up with the exodus are Julian Kelly, the chief monetary officer, Emily Lawson, the chief running officer, and Steve Russell, the chief shipment officer and nationwide director for vaccination and screening.

NHS England is the national quango charged with overseeing the day to day running of the health service and its long-term technique.

It was by the Tories in 2013 to offer it higher political self-reliance but Mr Streeting is keen to gain back tighter control from within his Department.

NHS England said in a declaration: 'As part of the requirement to make best possible usage of taxpayers' money to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be radically reduced and might see the size of the centre reduction by around half.'

The much deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction of about 4,000 to 6,000 employees at NHS England over the past 2 years and about 800 at the Department of Health and Social Care.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is also looking for to tighten his control over the NHS, amidst plans to cut staff numbers in half at NHS England and the Department of Health

Former NHS England chief Amanda Pritchard will step down from her position at the end of this month

NHS England chief delivery officer Steve Russell (left) and primary running officer Emily Lawson (right) are amongst the current managers to sign up with the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will end up being interim president at the start of April, will set up a transition team within NHS England to 'lead the radical reduction and reshaping of the centre with the Department of Health and Social Care'.

He said: 'We understand that today's news is upsetting for our personnel, and we have substantial challenges and changes ahead.'We intend to have a transition group in location to begin on the 1st April 2025 to help lead us through this period.'

Ms Pritchard stated in a note to personnel, seen by the Health Service Journal: 'In the last number of weeks, I have said I believe the time is ideal for extreme reform of the size and functions of the centre to best support local NHS systems and suppliers to deliver for patients and drive the federal government's reform top priorities.'

She said Mr Streeting had actually asked Sir Jim and Penny Dash, the incoming NHS England chair, to 'lead this work, providing substantial modifications in our relationship with DHSC to get rid of duplication'.

Mr Streeting stated: 'I wish to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their commitment as public servants, and their work in specific assisting guide the NHS through the pandemic.

'I've enjoyed dealing with each of them over the last eight months and I have actually been impressed by their skill and focus on providing improvement for clients and staff.

'We are getting in a duration of critical transformation for our NHS. 'With a more powerful relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will interact with the speed and seriousness required to fulfill the scale of the difficulty.'

As of June in 2015, NHS England employed simply under 15,000 full-time equivalent personnel, including long-term, short-lived and consultancy. The Department of Health and Social Care had around 9,000, including the UK Health Security Agency. These are both around 30 percent more than in January 2020.

NHS England primary monetary officer Julian Kelly has actually also included his name to leaders resigning from their positions

Professor Stephen Powis, the NHS nationwide medical director, announced recently he would step down this summertime

UNISON head of health Helga Pile stated: 'Staff will be naturally concerned about this sudden modification of direction.

'The number of redundancies being looked for at NHS England has actually trebled in just a matter of weeks.

'Em ployees there have currently been through the mill with unlimited rounds of reorganisation. What was currently a demanding possibility has actually now ended up being more like a headache.

'Fixing a damaged NHS needs an appropriate strategy, with central bodies resourced and handled successfully so regional services are supported.

'Rushing through cuts brings a risk of producing an even more, more complex mess and could eventually hold the NHS back. That would let down the very people who need it most, the patients.'

Matthew Taylor, president of the NHS Confederation, stated: 'These changes are taking place at a scale and speed not prepared for to start with, however offered the huge cost savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes good sense to lower locations of duplication at a nationwide level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

'NHS England has actually currently delivered considerable savings and helped to provide enhancements in performance, however nationwide bodies and regional NHS leaders understand that more is required this year.

'These modifications represent the most significant reshaping of the NHS's nationwide architecture in more than a years. It is essential that local NHS organisations and other bodies are associated with this improvement as the immediate next actions end up being clearer, so that a maximum operating model can be developed.

'This must have to do with doing things in a different way for the benefit of local communities as both clients and taxpayers, as well as for staff ahead of annual study results on Thursday that are yet once again anticipated to show the extreme challenges they deal with.'

Wes Streeting