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 revealed the other day in the middle of drastic cost-cutting steps.

The ‘bonfire of bureaucrats’ is focused on eliminating duplication across the organisations after their labor forces 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 announced they will stop at the end of this month, following the current resignations of chief executive Amanda Pritchard and nationwide medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.

The most recent leaders to sign up with the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary monetary officer, Emily Lawson, the chief operating 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 daily running of the health service and its long-lasting technique.

It was established by the Tories in 2013 to offer it higher political independence however Mr Streeting is eager to regain tighter control from within his Department.

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

The deeper staffing cuts follow a decrease of about 4,000 to 6,000 staff members at NHS England over the previous two years and about 800 at the Department of Health and Social Care.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is likewise seeking 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 shipment officer Steve Russell (left) and chief operating officer Emily Lawson (ideal) are amongst the current employers to join the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will become interim primary executive at the start of April, will establish a shift 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 know that today’s news is disturbing for our staff, and we have considerable obstacles and changes ahead.’We intend to have a transition group in place to begin on the 1st April 2025 to assist 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 actually stated I believe the time is right for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to best assistance local NHS systems and service providers to provide for patients and drive the government’s reform concerns.’

She said Mr Streeting had asked Sir Jim and Penny Dash, the inbound NHS England chair, to ‘lead this work, providing considerable modifications in our relationship with DHSC to remove 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 operate in particular assisting guide 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 skill and focus on providing improvement for clients and staff.

‘We are getting in a period of vital change for our NHS. ‘With a stronger relationship between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will work together with the speed and urgency required to satisfy the scale of the challenge.’

As of June last year, NHS England utilized just under 15,000 full-time equivalent staff, consisting of irreversible, short-term and consultancy. The Department of Health and Social Care had around 9,000, including the UK Health Security Agency. These are both around 30 per cent more than in January 2020.

NHS England primary financial officer Julian Kelly has also added his name to leaders resigning from their positions

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

UNISON head of health Helga Pile stated: ‘Staff will be naturally worried about this sudden 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 already been through the mill with unlimited rounds of reorganisation. What was already a difficult possibility has now ended up being more like a problem.

‘Fixing a damaged NHS needs an appropriate plan, with main bodies resourced and managed efficiently so local services are supported.

‘Rushing through cuts brings a danger of a further, more complicated mess and could ultimately hold the NHS back. That would let down the very individuals who need it most, the clients.’

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, stated: ‘These changes are taking place at a scale and rate not expected to begin with, but offered the huge cost savings that the NHS requires to make this year it makes sense to decrease locations of duplication at a nationwide level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

‘NHS England has already provided significant savings and assisted to provide enhancements in efficiency, however national bodies and regional NHS leaders understand that more is required this year.

‘These modifications represent the most significant improving of the NHS’s national architecture in more than a decade. It is essential that regional NHS organisations and other bodies are associated with this transformation as the instant next actions end up being clearer, so that an optimal operating model can be developed.

‘This should be about doing things in a different way for the benefit of regional communities as both patients and taxpayers, in addition to for staff ahead of annual study results on Thursday that are yet once again expected to reveal the severe difficulties they deal with.’

Wes Streeting