Streeting outlines plans to merge NHS England into the Department of Health and Social Care, halve Integrated Care Board headcounts and redirect savings to services.
Wes Streeting has announced plans to reduce bureaucracy in the NHS. The reforms include merging NHS England into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and cutting administrative roles, with the aim of directing more money into patient care.
Speaking at the NHS Providers Conference in Manchester on Wednesday, Wes Streeting said the plans would free up around £1bn a year by the end of the parliament.
Around 18,000 administrative posts are expected to be removed, with the government saying the savings will be reinvested in frontline services.
‘The government is protecting investment in the NHS at the Budget, worth an extra £29bn to the health service. I want to reassure taxpayers that every penny they are being asked to pay will be spent wisely,’ Streeting said.
‘We have already cut waiting lists for the first year in 15 years, recruited 2,500 more GPs, and cut ambulance waits for patients with conditions like heart attacks and strokes. Our investment to offer more services at evenings and weekends, arm staff with modern technology, and improving staff retention is working. At the same time, cuts to wasteful spending on things like recruitment agencies saw productivity grow by 2.4% in the most recent figures – we are getting better bang for our buck.
‘We’re now pushing down on the accelerator and slashing unnecessary bureaucracy, to reinvest the savings in frontline care. It won’t happen overnight, but with our investment and modernisation, we will rebuild our NHS so it is there for you when you need it once again.’
Under the plans, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) will have their headcounts cut by 50% and be given a ‘clear and focused purpose’ as strategic commissioners with greater emphasis on preventing illness.
The DHSC said the restructuring will take place within existing funding arrangements, with no cuts to NHS investment, either frontline or backroom.
Today’s announcement comes ahead of next week’s Budget, in which Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to focus on reducing wait lists, cutting national debt, and improving the efficiency of public spending.
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