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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 yesterday in the middle of extreme cost-cutting steps.

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

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

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

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

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

NHS England stated in a declaration: ‘As part of the need to make finest possible usage of taxpayers’ cash to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be significantly reduced 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 past 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 primary operating officer Emily Lawson (ideal) are among the current bosses to sign up with the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will end up being interim president at the start of April, will set up a shift team within NHS England to ‘lead the radical decrease and reshaping of the centre with the Department of Health and Social Care’.

He said: ‘We understand that today’s news is disturbing for our staff, and we have significant obstacles and modifications ahead.’We aim to have a transition team in location to start on the first April 2025 to help lead us through this duration.’

Ms Pritchard said in a note to staff, seen by the Health Service Journal: ‘In the last number of weeks, I have actually said I believe the time is ideal for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to finest support regional NHS systems and providers to provide for patients and drive the government’s reform concerns.’

She stated Mr Streeting had asked Sir Jim and Penny Dash, the inbound NHS England chair, to ‘lead this work, delivering considerable changes in our relationship with DHSC to get rid of duplication’.

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

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

‘We are getting in a period of vital transformation 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 urgency required to satisfy the scale of the obstacle.’

As of June in 2015, NHS England utilized just under 15,000 full-time equivalent staff, consisting of irreversible, momentary and consultancy. The Department of Health and Social Care had around 9,000, including the UK Health Security Agency. These are both around 30 per cent more than in January 2020.

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

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

UNISON head of health Helga Pile stated: ‘Staff will be not surprisingly worried about this sudden modification of instructions.

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

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

‘Fixing a damaged NHS needs an appropriate strategy, with central bodies resourced and managed effectively so regional services are supported.

‘Rushing through cuts brings a threat of creating a further, more complex mess and could ultimately hold the NHS back. That would pull down the very people who require it most, the clients.’

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘These modifications are happening at a scale and speed not prepared for to start with, however provided the substantial savings that the NHS requires 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 currently delivered substantial cost savings and helped to provide improvements in performance, but national bodies and local NHS leaders know that more is required this year.

‘These modifications represent the biggest improving of the NHS’s nationwide architecture in more than a years. It is crucial that local NHS organisations and other bodies are associated with this change as the immediate next steps become clearer, so that an optimal operating model can be created.

‘This must have to do with doing things in a different way for the benefit of regional neighborhoods as both clients and taxpayers, along with for staff ahead of annual study results on Thursday that are yet once again expected to reveal the severe challenges they deal with.’

Wes Streeting