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 amidst extreme cost-cutting steps.

The ‘bonfire of bureaucrats’ is focused on removing duplication across the organisations after their workforces swelled throughout the pandemic.

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

Three more NHS England board members the other day announced they will quit at the end of this month, following the recent resignations of president Amanda Pritchard and national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.

The current leaders to join the exodus are Julian Kelly, the chief financial officer, Emily Lawson, the chief operating officer, and Steve Russell, the chief delivery officer and nationwide director for vaccination and screening.

NHS England is the nationwide quango entrusted with managing the everyday running of the health service and its long-lasting method.

It was developed by the Tories in 2013 to provide it higher political self-reliance however Mr Streeting is eager to gain back tighter control from within his Department.

NHS England said 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 radically decreased and could see the size of the centre reduction by around half.’

The much deeper staffing cuts follow a decrease of about 4,000 to 6,000 workers 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 looking for to tighten his control over the NHS, amidst plans to cut personnel 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 chief running officer Emily Lawson (ideal) are among the latest bosses to join the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will become interim primary executive at the start of April, will set up a shift team within NHS England to ‘lead the extreme reduction and reshaping of the centre with the Department of Health and Social Care’.

He stated: ‘We understand that today’s news is unsettling for our personnel, and we have substantial obstacles and changes ahead.’We aim to have a transition team in place to begin on the first April 2025 to assist lead us through this duration.’

Ms Pritchard stated in a note to staff, seen by the Health Service Journal: ‘In the last couple of weeks, I have said I think the time is best for extreme reform of the size and functions of the centre to finest support local NHS systems and service providers to deliver for clients and drive the government’s reform priorities.’

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

Mr Streeting stated: ‘I want to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their commitment as public servants, and their operate in particular assisting steer the NHS through the pandemic.

‘I’ve enjoyed working with each of them over the last 8 months and I have actually been impressed by their skill and concentrate on providing improvement for clients and staff.

‘We are going into a duration of important 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 fulfill the scale of the challenge.’

As of June in 2015, NHS England used just under 15,000 full-time equivalent staff, consisting of permanent, short-lived 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 financial officer Julian Kelly has also included his name to leaders resigning from their positions

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

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

‘The variety of redundancies being sought at NHS England has actually trebled in just a matter of weeks.

‘Em ployees there have already been through the mill with limitless rounds of reorganisation. What was already a stressful prospect has now ended up being more like a nightmare.

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

‘Rushing through cuts brings a threat of developing a further, more complex mess and could ultimately hold the NHS back. That would pull down the very people who require it most, the patients.’

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘These changes are occurring at a scale and rate not anticipated to begin with, however offered the substantial savings that the NHS needs 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 already provided considerable cost savings and helped to deliver enhancements in efficiency, but national bodies and regional NHS leaders understand that more is required this year.

‘These changes represent the greatest reshaping of the NHS’s nationwide architecture in more than a years. It is crucial that local NHS organisations and other bodies are associated with this transformation as the immediate next steps end up being clearer, so that an optimal operating model can be produced.

‘This should be about doing things in a different way for the benefit of local neighborhoods as both patients and taxpayers, as well as for staff ahead of yearly survey results on Thursday that are yet once again anticipated to show the extreme challenges they face.’

Wes Streeting