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 revealed the other day amidst drastic cost-cutting measures.

The ‘bonfire of bureaucrats’ is intended at eliminating 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, provide 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 president Amanda Pritchard and national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.

The most current leaders to sign up with the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary financial 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 tasked with managing the everyday running of the health service and its long-term method.

It was developed by the Tories in 2013 to give it greater political independence but Mr Streeting is keen to gain back tighter control from within his Department.

NHS England stated in a statement: ‘As part of the need to make finest possible use of taxpayers’ cash to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be drastically lowered and could see the size of the centre reduction by around half.’

The deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction 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 seeking to tighten his control over the NHS, amidst 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 delivery officer Steve Russell (left) and chief running officer Emily Lawson (best) are among the most recent employers to sign up with the exodus

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

He stated: ‘We understand that today’s news is disturbing for our staff, and we have significant difficulties and modifications ahead.‘We aim to have a shift team in location 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 actually stated I believe the time is ideal for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to finest assistance regional NHS systems and companies to deliver for clients and drive the government’s reform priorities.’

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

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

‘I have actually enjoyed working 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 period of important change for our NHS. ‘With a stronger relationship between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will collaborate with the speed and seriousness required to meet the scale of the difficulty.’

As of June last year, NHS England used simply under 15,000 full-time equivalent staff, consisting of permanent, 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 per cent more than in January 2020.

NHS England chief monetary 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 summertime

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

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

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

‘Fixing a broken NHS needs a proper strategy, with central bodies resourced and managed successfully so regional services are supported.

‘Rushing through cuts brings a threat of producing a further, more complex mess and might eventually hold the NHS back. That would let down the very individuals who need it most, the clients.’

Matthew Taylor, president of the NHS Confederation, stated: ‘These modifications are happening at a scale and speed not expected to start with, however given the big savings that the NHS requires to make this year it makes sense to decrease locations of duplication at a national level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

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

‘These modifications represent the biggest reshaping of the NHS’s national architecture in more than a years. It is important that local NHS organisations and other bodies are involved in this change as the instant next actions become clearer, so that an optimal operating model can be developed.

‘This need to 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 survey results on Thursday that are yet again expected to reveal the severe difficulties they deal with.’

Wes Streeting