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 unveiled the other day amid drastic cost-cutting procedures.

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

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

Three more NHS England board members the other day revealed they will stop at the end of this month, following the current resignations of primary executive Amanda Pritchard and national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.

The latest leaders to join the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary 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 national quango tasked with managing the day to day running of the health service and its long-lasting method.

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

NHS England stated in a statement: ‘As part of the need to make best possible usage of taxpayers’ cash to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be significantly minimized and could see the size of the centre decrease 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 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, amid 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 (right) are amongst the current bosses to sign up with the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will end up being interim chief executive at the start of April, will set up a transition group within NHS England to ‘lead the radical decrease 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 personnel, and we have substantial obstacles and modifications ahead.’We aim to have a transition team in place to begin on the 1st April 2025 to assist lead us through this period.’

Ms Pritchard said 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 ideal for extreme reform of the size and functions of the centre to finest assistance local NHS systems and service providers to provide for patients and drive the federal government’s reform top priorities.’

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

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 guide the NHS through the pandemic.

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

‘We are entering a duration of vital transformation for our NHS. ‘With a stronger relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will interact with the speed and urgency needed to meet the scale of the obstacle.’

Since June last year, NHS England employed just under 15,000 full-time comparable staff, consisting of long-term, short-term 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 percent more than in January 2020.

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

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

UNISON head of health stated: ‘Staff will be naturally worried about this abrupt modification of instructions.

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

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

‘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 threat of developing a further, more complicated mess and might ultimately hold the NHS back. That would let down the very individuals who require it most, the clients.’

Matthew Taylor, president of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘These changes are taking place at a scale and pace not expected to start with, however offered the substantial savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes good sense to reduce areas of duplication at a nationwide level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

‘NHS England has actually currently provided substantial cost savings and assisted to deliver enhancements in efficiency, but nationwide bodies and regional NHS leaders understand that more is required this year.

‘These modifications represent the biggest improving of the NHS’s national architecture in more than a years. It is essential that local NHS organisations and other bodies are involved in this transformation as the instant next actions end up being clearer, so that an optimum operating design can be produced.

‘This should have to do with doing things differently for the benefit of regional neighborhoods as both patients and taxpayers, in addition to for personnel ahead of yearly study results on Thursday that are yet once again expected to show the extreme obstacles they deal with.’

Wes Streeting