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 the other day amidst drastic cost-cutting procedures.


The 'bonfire of bureaucrats' is focused on getting rid of duplication across the organisations after their labor forces 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 cash for the frontline.


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


The most current leaders to join the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary financial officer, Emily Lawson, the chief operating officer, and Steve Russell, the chief delivery officer and nationwide director for vaccination and screening.


NHS England is the national quango tasked with overseeing the day to day running of the health service and its long-lasting method.


It was established 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 said in a declaration: 'As part of the requirement to make best possible use of taxpayers' money to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be significantly minimized and could see the size of the centre decrease by around half.'


The much deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction of about 4,000 to 6,000 staff members at NHS England over the previous two 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 strategies 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 delivery officer Steve Russell (left) and primary operating officer Emily Lawson (best) are amongst the most recent employers to sign up with the exodus


Sir Jim Mackey, who will end up being interim president at the start of April, will establish a shift group within NHS England to 'lead the extreme decrease and improving of the centre with the Department of Health and Social Care'.


He stated: 'We know that today's news is unsettling for our staff, and we have significant difficulties and modifications ahead.'We intend to have a shift group in place to start on the first April 2025 to help 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 actually said I think the time is ideal for extreme reform of the size and functions of the centre to best support local NHS systems and companies to deliver for clients and drive the federal government's reform top priorities.'


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


Mr Streeting stated: 'I 'd like to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their commitment as public servants, and their work in specific assisting guide the NHS through the pandemic.


'I have actually taken pleasure in working with each of them over the last 8 months and I've been impressed by their ability and concentrate on delivering enhancement for clients and staff.


'We are going into a period of vital transformation for our NHS. 'With a stronger relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will work together with the speed and seriousness required to satisfy the scale of the difficulty.'


As of June last year, NHS England used simply under 15,000 full-time comparable staff, including long-term, 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 percent more than in January 2020.


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


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


UNISON head of health Helga Pile stated: 'Staff will be not surprisingly worried about this abrupt change of .


'The variety of redundancies being looked for at NHS England has actually trebled in simply a matter of weeks.


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


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


'Rushing through cuts brings a risk of producing a further, more complex mess and might ultimately hold the NHS back. That would let down the very individuals who require it most, the clients.'


Matthew Taylor, primary executive of the NHS Confederation, said: 'These modifications are occurring at a scale and speed not expected to begin with, but given the big savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes good sense to reduce locations of duplication at a national level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.


'NHS England has actually already delivered significant cost savings and helped to deliver improvements in efficiency, however nationwide bodies and regional NHS leaders know that more is needed this year.


'These modifications represent the biggest improving of the NHS's nationwide architecture in more than a decade. It is very important that regional NHS organisations and other bodies are included in this improvement as the immediate next steps end up being clearer, so that an optimal operating design can be created.


'This must have to do with doing things in a different way for the advantage of local communities as both patients and taxpayers, as well as for staff ahead of yearly study results on Thursday that are yet again expected to reveal the extreme challenges they deal with.'


Wes Streeting