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 yesterday in the middle of extreme cost-cutting measures.

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

Health secretary Wes Streeting is also 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 stop at the end of this month, following the recent resignations of primary executive Amanda Pritchard and national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.

The latest leaders to sign up with the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary 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 nationwide quango tasked with managing the day to day running of the health service and its long-lasting technique.

It was established by the Tories in 2013 to give it higher political independence however Mr Streeting is eager to gain back tighter control from within his Department.

NHS England stated in a statement: ‘As part of the requirement to make finest possible use of taxpayers’ money to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be significantly decreased and could see the size of the centre decline by around half.’

The much deeper staffing cuts follow a decrease of about 4,000 to 6,000 employees at NHS England over the previous 2 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, 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 shipment officer Steve Russell (left) and primary operating officer Emily Lawson (right) are amongst the current managers to sign up with the exodus

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

He said: ‘We understand that today’s news is disturbing for our personnel, and we have considerable difficulties and changes ahead.’We aim to have a shift team in location to begin on the first April 2025 to assist lead us through this period.’

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

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

Mr Streeting stated: ‘I ‘d like to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their devotion as public servants, and their operate in particular assisting steer 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 ability and concentrate on delivering enhancement for clients and staff.

‘We are going into a duration of critical transformation for our NHS. ‘With a stronger relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will collaborate with the speed and urgency required to satisfy the scale of the difficulty.’

Since June in 2015, NHS England utilized just under 15,000 full-time equivalent personnel, including irreversible, temporary 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 likewise 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 summer season

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

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

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

‘Fixing a damaged NHS requires a correct strategy, with central bodies resourced and managed successfully so local services are supported.

‘Rushing through cuts brings a threat of producing an even more, more complicated mess and could eventually hold the NHS back. That would let down the very individuals who require it most, the clients.’

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘These modifications are taking place at a scale and speed not anticipated to start with, however given the big cost savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes sense to decrease locations of duplication at a nationwide level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

‘NHS England has actually already delivered considerable savings and assisted to deliver enhancements in efficiency, but national bodies and local NHS leaders know that more is needed this year.

‘These modifications represent the most significant improving of the NHS’s national architecture in more than a decade. It is crucial that regional NHS organisations and other bodies are included in this change as the instant next actions become clearer, so that a maximum operating model can be produced.

‘This need to have to do with doing things in a different way for the benefit of local neighborhoods as both clients and taxpayers, in addition to for staff ahead of annual survey results on Thursday that are yet once again expected to show the extreme obstacles they deal with.’

Wes Streeting