Wes Streeting Cuts NHS HQ Staff Numbers In Half

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

The ‘bonfire of bureaucrats’ is intended at eliminating duplication throughout 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 much better value for taxpayers and free-up money 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 chief executive 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 operating officer, and Steve Russell, the chief shipment officer and national director for vaccination and screening.

NHS England is the national quango tasked with managing the everyday running of the health service and its long-term technique.

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

NHS England said in a statement: ‘As part of the need to make best possible usage of taxpayers’ money to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be significantly reduced and might see the size of the centre decrease by around half.’

The 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 seeking to tighten his control over the NHS, in the middle of strategies 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 shipment officer Steve Russell (left) and primary operating officer Emily Lawson (ideal) 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 shift group within NHS England to ‘lead the extreme reduction and improving of the centre with the Department of Health and Social Care’.

He stated: ‘We understand that today’s news is upsetting for our staff, and we have substantial obstacles and changes ahead.’We intend to have a shift group in place to begin on the 1st April 2025 to help lead us through this period.’

Ms Pritchard said in a note to staff, seen by the Health Service Journal: ‘In the last number of weeks, I have actually said I believe the time is best for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to finest assistance local NHS systems and suppliers to deliver for patients and drive the government’s reform top priorities.’

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

Mr Streeting said: ‘I ‘d like to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their commitment as public servants, and their operate in specific helping steer the NHS through the pandemic.

‘I’ve delighted in dealing with each of them over the last eight months and I’ve been impressed by their ability and focus on delivering enhancement for patients and personnel.

‘We are going into a period of critical change for our NHS. ‘With a more powerful relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will work together with the speed and seriousness needed to fulfill the scale of the obstacle.’

As of June in 2015, NHS England utilized simply under 15,000 full-time comparable personnel, consisting of permanent, momentary and consultancy. The Department of Health and Social Care had around 9,000, consisting of the UK Health Security Agency. These are both around 30 per cent more than in January 2020.

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

Professor Stephen Powis, the NHS national medical director, revealed recently he would step down this summertime

UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: ‘Staff will be understandably worried about this abrupt modification of instructions.

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

‘Em ployees there have actually already been through the mill with unlimited rounds of reorganisation. What was already a demanding prospect has now become more like a nightmare.

‘Fixing a broken NHS needs a correct strategy, with main bodies resourced and handled effectively so local services are supported.

‘Rushing through cuts brings a danger of creating an even more, more complicated mess and could ultimately hold the NHS back. That would let down the very people who require it most, the patients.’

Taylor, president of the NHS Confederation, stated: ‘These modifications are taking place at a scale and speed not anticipated to begin with, however provided the huge cost savings that the NHS requires to make this year it makes good sense to decrease areas of duplication at a nationwide level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

‘NHS England has actually currently delivered significant cost savings and assisted to provide improvements in performance, but 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 regional NHS organisations and other bodies are associated with this transformation as the immediate next actions become clearer, so that a maximum operating model can be created.

‘This must have to do with doing things differently for the benefit of regional neighborhoods as both patients and taxpayers, as well as for staff ahead of annual study results on Thursday that are yet again anticipated to reveal the extreme challenges they face.’

Wes Streeting