Plans to cut personnel numbers in half at NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care were unveiled yesterday in the middle of extreme cost-cutting procedures.

The 'bonfire of bureaucrats' is targeted at removing duplication throughout the organisations after their labor forces swelled throughout the pandemic.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is likewise looking for to tighten his control over the NHS, deliver much better worth for taxpayers and free-up cash for the frontline.

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

The most recent leaders to join the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary monetary 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 supervising the day to day running of the health service and its long-lasting strategy.

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

NHS England stated in a statement: 'As part of the requirement to make best possible use of taxpayers' money to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be radically reduced and could see the size of the centre reduction by around half.'

The much deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction of about 4,000 to 6,000 employees at NHS England over the past 2 years and about 800 at the Department of Health and Social Care.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is also 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 delivery officer Steve Russell (left) and primary operating officer Emily Lawson (best) are among the current managers to join the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will become interim president at the start of April, will establish a transition 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 unsettling for our staff, and we have significant challenges and changes ahead.'We intend to have a shift team in location to start on the 1st April 2025 to assist lead us through this duration.'

Ms Pritchard said in a note to staff, seen by the Health Service Journal: 'In the last couple of weeks, I have actually stated I believe the time is right for extreme reform of the size and functions of the centre to finest assistance regional NHS systems and providers to provide for patients and drive the 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 substantial modifications in our relationship with DHSC to remove duplication'.

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

'I've enjoyed dealing with each of them over the last 8 months and I've been impressed by their ability and focus on providing enhancement for and staff.

'We are entering a period of crucial change for our NHS. 'With a more powerful relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will work together with the speed and urgency required to satisfy the scale of the obstacle.'

As of June in 2015, NHS England utilized simply under 15,000 full-time equivalent personnel, consisting of long-term, 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 financial officer Julian Kelly has actually also included his name to leaders resigning from their positions

Professor Stephen Powis, the NHS nationwide medical director, announced last week he would step down this summer

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

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

'Em ployees there have currently been through the mill with unlimited rounds of reorganisation. What was currently a stressful possibility has now ended up being more like a nightmare.

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

'Rushing through cuts brings a danger of developing a further, more complex mess and could eventually hold the NHS back. That would pull down the very people who need it most, the clients.'

Matthew Taylor, president of the NHS Confederation, stated: 'These changes are occurring at a scale and rate not anticipated to begin with, however offered the big savings that the NHS requires to make this year it makes good sense to reduce areas of duplication at a national level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

'NHS England has currently delivered substantial savings and helped to deliver improvements in efficiency, however national bodies and local NHS leaders know that more is required this year.

'These modifications represent the biggest improving of the NHS's national architecture in more than a decade. It is necessary that regional NHS organisations and other bodies are included in this transformation as the immediate next steps end up being clearer, so that an optimum operating design can be produced.

'This should be about doing things differently for the advantage of regional neighborhoods as both clients and taxpayers, along with for personnel ahead of yearly survey results on Thursday that are yet again anticipated to reveal the severe challenges they deal with.'

Wes Streeting