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 focused on eliminating duplication throughout the organisations after their workforces swelled during the pandemic.

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

Three more NHS England board members the other day announced they will stop at the end of this month, following the current resignations of president Amanda Pritchard and national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.

The most recent leaders to sign up with the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary 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 tasked with managing the everyday running of the health service and its long-lasting strategy.

It was developed by the Tories in 2013 to provide it higher political independence but Mr Streeting is eager to restore tighter control from within his Department.

NHS England stated in a statement: 'As part of the need to make best possible use of taxpayers' cash to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be drastically minimized and could see the size of the centre decline by around half.'

The deeper staffing cuts follow a decrease of about 4,000 to 6,000 staff members at NHS England over the past two years and about 800 at the Department of Health and Social Care.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is also looking for to tighten his control over the NHS, amidst strategies to cut staff 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 running officer Emily Lawson (ideal) are amongst the most current employers to join the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will become interim president at the start of April, will set up a transition group within NHS England to 'lead the extreme reduction and improving of the centre with the Department of Health and Social Care'.

He stated: 'We understand that today's news is unsettling for our personnel, and we have significant difficulties and modifications ahead.'We aim to have a shift team in location to start on the first April 2025 to assist lead us through this period.'

Ms Pritchard said in a note to personnel, seen by the Health Service Journal: 'In the last number of weeks, I have actually said I believe the time is best for extreme reform of the size and functions of the centre to best support regional NHS systems and suppliers to deliver for patients and drive the federal government's reform priorities.'

She said Mr Streeting had actually asked Sir Jim and Penny Dash, the inbound NHS England chair, to 'lead this work, delivering considerable changes 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 dedication as public servants, and their operate in specific assisting guide 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 concentrate on providing enhancement for clients and staff.

'We are going into a duration of crucial change for our NHS. 'With a stronger relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will collaborate with the speed and seriousness required to satisfy the scale of the obstacle.'

As of June in 2015, NHS England employed just under 15,000 full-time equivalent staff, including long-term, short-lived and consultancy. The Department of Health and Social Care had around 9,000, including the UK Health Security Agency. These are both around 30 percent more than in January 2020.

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

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

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

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

'Em ployees there have already been through the mill with endless rounds of reorganisation. What was currently a demanding prospect has now become more like a problem.

'Fixing a damaged NHS needs a proper strategy, with main bodies resourced and handled effectively so local services are supported.

'Rushing through cuts brings a risk of creating an even more, more complex mess and might eventually hold the NHS back. That would pull down the very people who need it most, the patients.'

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, stated: 'These modifications are taking place at a scale and rate not expected to start with, however provided the big savings that the NHS requires to make this year it makes sense to minimize locations of duplication at a nationwide level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

'NHS England has currently provided substantial cost savings and assisted to deliver enhancements in productivity, but nationwide bodies and regional NHS leaders know that more is required this year.

'These changes represent the biggest improving of the NHS's nationwide architecture in more than a decade. It is necessary that local NHS organisations and other bodies are associated with this transformation as the instant next actions end up being clearer, so that an optimal operating design can be created.

'This need to be about doing things differently for the benefit of local neighborhoods as both patients and taxpayers, along with for staff ahead of annual study results on Thursday that are yet once again expected to reveal the extreme obstacles they deal with.'

Wes Streeting