NHS England to be brought back under government control with thousands of jobs axed

NHS England will be scrapped and brought under “democratic control” to reduce bureaucracy and make savings, the Prime Minister announced.

NHS England, the arms’-length organisation set up by the Conservatives in 2012 with the aim of freeing the NHS from political shackles, will be brought back into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the move will put an end to the duplication resulting from two organisations doing the same job in a system currently holding staff back from delivering for patients.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said NHS staff are working flat out but that the current system “sets them up to fail”, saying he would be entrusting more responsibility to frontline staff.

“When money is so tight, we cannot justify such a complex bureaucracy with 2 organisations doing the same jobs. We need more doers and fewer checkers, which is why I’m devolving resources and responsibilities to the NHS frontline.”

The Prime Minister said work would begin immediately on returning many of NHS England’s current functions to DHSC, with a longer-term programme to deliver the remaining changes to bring NHS England back into the department.

Sir James Mackey, who will be taking over as Transition CEO of NHS England, said:
“We know that while unsettling for our staff, today’s announcement will bring welcome clarity as we focus on tackling the significant challenges ahead and delivering on the government’s priorities for patients.

“From managing the COVID pandemic, the biggest and most successful vaccine campaign which got the country back on its feet, to introducing the latest, most innovative new treatments for patients, NHS England has played a vital role in improving the nation’s health. I have always been exceptionally proud to work for the NHS - and our staff in NHS England have much to be proud of.

“But we now need to bring NHS England and DHSC together so we can deliver the biggest bang for our buck for patients, as we look to implement the 3 big shifts - analogue to digital, sickness to prevention and hospital to community - and build an NHS fit for the future.”