The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has acknowledged that his plans to reform the NHS could cause some disruption but insists the changes will bring long-term improvements. As part of the overhaul, the government will abolish NHS England, aiming to reduce inefficiencies and redirect funds towards frontline healthcare. The transition, expected to take two years, is projected to save hundreds of millions of pounds. Streeting defended the decision, arguing that NHS England had become a barrier between ministers and responsibility, and that cutting bureaucracy was necessary to improve patient care.
Under the new structure, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will take direct control of the NHS, eliminating what the government describes as unnecessary layers of administration. While the reorganisation will not impact access to free healthcare, it will lead to significant job losses, with around 9,000 administrative roles expected to go. Richard Meddings, chair of NHS England, accepted the decision but stressed that ultimate accountability will now rest solely with ministers, leaving them directly responsible for the success or failure of the reforms.
Streeting has signalled that this is just the start of a wider effort to streamline the health service, warning that excessive regulation is stifling efficiency. He has tasked NHS England’s new chair, Penny Dash, with reviewing bureaucratic processes to identify further cuts. While he pledged to support affected staff, he made clear that simplifying NHS management was essential to its future success. NHS leaders have expressed concerns that the current system overwhelms them with conflicting directives, something Streeting hopes to resolve.
The opposition parties have responded cautiously to the changes. The Conservatives have supported the shift in responsibility to ministers but warned that Labour will now have nowhere to hide if problems arise. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have urged the government to ensure the shake-up does not harm patient care and called for greater attention to be given to social care reform.
