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 removing duplication throughout the organisations after their workforces swelled throughout the pandemic.

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

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

The latest leaders to join the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary monetary officer, Emily Lawson, the chief running officer, and Steve Russell, the chief shipment officer and national director for vaccination and screening.

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

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

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

The much deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction of about 4,000 to 6,000 employees at NHS England over the past 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, amid 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 running officer Emily Lawson (right) are amongst the most recent employers to join the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will become interim chief executive at the start of April, will establish a shift team within NHS England to ‘lead the extreme decrease and improving of the centre with the Department of Health and Social Care’.

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

Ms said in a note to staff, seen by the Health Service Journal: ‘In the last couple of weeks, I have actually said I think the time is right for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to best support local NHS systems and companies to deliver for clients and drive the federal government’s reform top priorities.’

She said Mr Streeting had actually asked Sir Jim and Penny Dash, the incoming NHS England chair, to ‘lead this work, providing significant modifications in our relationship with DHSC to eliminate duplication’.

Mr Streeting said: ‘I wish to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their devotion as public servants, and their work in particular assisting steer the NHS through the pandemic.

‘I’ve taken pleasure in working with each of them over the last 8 months and I have actually been impressed by their skill and concentrate on providing enhancement for patients and personnel.

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

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

NHS England primary financial officer Julian Kelly has actually 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

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

‘The number of redundancies being sought 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 prospect has actually now become more like a nightmare.

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

‘Rushing through cuts brings a risk of developing 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, president of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘These changes are happening at a scale and speed not expected to begin with, but offered the big savings that the NHS requires to make this year it makes sense to reduce 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 helped to provide enhancements in efficiency, however national bodies and local NHS leaders understand that more is needed this year.

‘These modifications represent the biggest reshaping of the NHS’s nationwide architecture in more than a decade. It is essential that local NHS organisations and other bodies are included in this transformation as the immediate next steps end up being clearer, so that a maximum operating design can be produced.

‘This should have to do with doing things differently for the benefit of local communities as both clients and taxpayers, in addition to for staff ahead of yearly study results on Thursday that are yet again expected to show the severe difficulties they deal with.’

Wes Streeting