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 the other day in the middle of extreme cost-cutting procedures.

The ‘bonfire of bureaucrats’ is aimed at getting rid of duplication throughout the organisations after their workforces swelled throughout the pandemic.

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

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

The current leaders to sign up with the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary financial officer, Emily Lawson, the chief running officer, and Steve Russell, the chief delivery officer and nationwide director for vaccination and screening.

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

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

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

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

Health secretary Wes Streeting is also looking for to 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 primary operating officer Emily Lawson (best) are amongst the current employers to sign up with the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will become interim president at the start of April, will set up a transition group within NHS England to ‘lead the radical reduction and improving of the centre with the Department of Health and Social Care’.

He stated: ‘We understand that today’s news is disturbing for our staff, and we have considerable difficulties and modifications ahead.’We aim to have a shift team in location to start on the 1st April 2025 to help lead us through this duration.’

Ms Pritchard stated in a note to personnel, seen by the Health Service Journal: ‘In the last couple of weeks, I have actually stated I think the time is right for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to finest assistance regional NHS systems and suppliers to provide for patients and drive the government’s reform top priorities.’

She stated Mr Streeting had asked Sir Jim and Penny Dash, the incoming NHS England chair, to ‘lead this work, delivering considerable changes in our relationship with DHSC to get rid of duplication’.

Mr Streeting said: ‘I wish to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their dedication as public servants, and their operate in specific assisting guide the NHS through the pandemic.

‘I have actually delighted in dealing with each of them over the last eight months and I have actually been impressed by their skill and focus on delivering enhancement for clients and personnel.

‘We are going into a duration of critical change for our NHS. ‘With a stronger relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will work together with the speed and urgency needed to satisfy the scale of the challenge.’

As of June last year, NHS England used simply under 15,000 full-time comparable staff, consisting of permanent, momentary 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 chief monetary officer Julian Kelly has actually also added his name to leaders resigning from their positions

Professor Stephen Powis, the NHS nationwide medical director, revealed last week he would step down this summertime

UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: ‘Staff will be naturally concerned about this sudden change of instructions.

‘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 difficult possibility has actually now ended up being more like a nightmare.

‘Fixing a damaged NHS needs a proper plan, with main bodies resourced and handled successfully so regional services are supported.

‘Rushing through cuts brings a danger of producing an even more, more complicated mess and might ultimately hold the NHS back. That would let down the very individuals who need it most, the patients.’

Matthew Taylor, president of the NHS Confederation, stated: ‘These modifications are happening at a scale and pace not expected to start with, but offered the big cost savings that the NHS requires to make this year it makes sense to decrease locations of duplication at a national level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

‘NHS England has actually already provided significant cost savings and helped to deliver improvements in performance, however national bodies and local NHS leaders know that more is needed this year.

‘These changes represent the most significant reshaping of the NHS’s nationwide architecture in more than a decade. It is crucial that regional NHS organisations and other bodies are included in this transformation as the immediate next steps become clearer, so that an optimum operating model can be developed.

‘This should 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 personnel ahead of annual study results on Thursday that are yet once again expected to reveal the extreme obstacles they deal with.’

Wes Streeting