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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 the other day amidst extreme cost-cutting steps.

The ‘bonfire of bureaucrats’ is targeted at removing 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, deliver better worth for taxpayers and free-up money for the frontline.

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

The current leaders to sign up with the exodus are Julian Kelly, the chief financial officer, Emily Lawson, the chief running officer, and Steve Russell, the chief delivery officer and nationwide director for vaccination and screening.

NHS England is the nationwide quango charged with overseeing the daily running of the health service and its long-term technique.

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

NHS England stated in a declaration: ‘As part of the requirement to make finest possible usage of taxpayers’ cash to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be significantly lowered 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 staff members 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, 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 (ideal) are amongst the current bosses to sign up with the exodus

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

He stated: ‘We know that today’s news is upsetting for our personnel, and we have significant difficulties and changes ahead.’We aim to have a transition group in location to begin on the 1st April 2025 to assist lead us through this period.’

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

She stated Mr Streeting had actually asked Sir Jim and Penny Dash, the incoming NHS England chair, to ‘lead this work, delivering considerable 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 dedication as public servants, and their work in specific 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 skill and focus on providing improvement for clients and staff.

‘We are getting in a period of vital transformation for our NHS. ‘With a more powerful relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will interact with the speed and urgency needed to satisfy the scale of the difficulty.’

Since June last year, NHS England utilized just under 15,000 full-time comparable personnel, consisting of permanent, 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 per cent more than in January 2020.

NHS England chief monetary officer Julian Kelly has also 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 said: ‘Staff will be understandably worried about this unexpected modification of direction.

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

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

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

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

Matthew Taylor, president of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘These changes are happening at a scale and rate not anticipated to begin with, however given the substantial savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes sense to minimize areas of duplication at a nationwide level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

‘NHS England has already delivered substantial savings and helped to deliver enhancements in performance, however nationwide bodies and regional NHS leaders understand that more is needed this year.

‘These modifications represent the most significant reshaping of the NHS’s nationwide architecture in more than a decade. It is very important that regional NHS organisations and other bodies are associated with this change as the instant next actions end up being clearer, so that a maximum operating model can be created.

‘This need to be about doing things in a different way for the advantage of regional neighborhoods as both patients and taxpayers, as well as for personnel ahead of yearly survey results on Thursday that are yet once again expected to reveal the severe difficulties they deal with.’

Wes Streeting