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

The ‘bonfire of bureaucrats’ is aimed at eliminating duplication across the organisations after their workforces swelled during the pandemic.

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

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

The latest leaders to join the exodus are Julian Kelly, the chief 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 managing the day to day running of the health service and its long-lasting strategy.

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

NHS England said in a statement: ‘As part of the need to make finest possible usage of taxpayers’ cash to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be radically decreased and might see the size of the centre decline by around half.’

The deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction of about 4,000 to 6,000 staff members at NHS England over the past two 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, amidst strategies 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 delivery officer (left) and primary running officer Emily Lawson (best) are amongst the current managers to join the exodus

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

He said: ‘We understand that today’s news is upsetting for our staff, and we have significant obstacles and modifications ahead.’We aim to have a shift group in location to start on the first 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 stated I think the time is best for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to best support local NHS systems and providers to deliver for clients and drive the federal government’s reform concerns.’

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

‘I have actually enjoyed dealing with each of them over the last eight months and I have actually been impressed by their ability and concentrate on providing enhancement for patients and personnel.

‘We are entering a duration of vital improvement 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 needed to satisfy the scale of the challenge.’

Since June in 2015, NHS England utilized just under 15,000 full-time comparable staff, including permanent, 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 percent more than in January 2020.

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

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

UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: ‘Staff will be naturally concerned about this unexpected modification of direction.

‘The number of redundancies being looked for at NHS England has actually trebled in just a matter of weeks.

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

‘Fixing a damaged NHS requires a proper plan, with central bodies resourced and handled effectively so regional services are supported.

‘Rushing through cuts brings a risk of creating an even more, more complicated mess and could ultimately hold the NHS back. That would pull down the very people who require it most, the patients.’

Matthew Taylor, president of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘These changes are occurring at a scale and speed not anticipated to begin with, but provided the big cost savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes sense to decrease areas of duplication at a national level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

‘NHS England has already provided substantial cost savings and assisted to deliver enhancements in productivity, however national bodies and local NHS leaders know that more is needed this year.

‘These modifications represent the biggest reshaping of the NHS’s nationwide architecture in more than a years. It is important that local NHS organisations and other bodies are involved in this transformation as the instant next steps become clearer, so that a maximum operating model can be created.

‘This should have to do with doing things differently for the benefit of regional communities as both clients and taxpayers, in addition to for staff ahead of annual study results on Thursday that are yet once again anticipated to reveal the severe obstacles they face.’

Wes Streeting