Abolishing NHS England: ‘Government must not lose sight of the public’s priorities’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to abolish NHS England (NHSE), in a bid to bring the health service “back into democratic control” of government ministers. In a speech, Starmer said abolishing NHSE would cut bureaucracy, could free up cash for nurses, doctors and frontline services and speed up improvements.

RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “The chaotic reorganisation that created NHS England cost billions and took money and attention away from clinical care. Nobody can afford a repeat, now that NHS performance is already at a historic low and money is scarce.

“NHSE was created to put distance between government and the problems of the health service. Today, the government has confirmed who owns the real problems – understaffed services, poor quality care and long waits, not bureaucratic structures. The government must not lose sight of the public’s priorities”.

NHSE is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) – this means it is not a government department, but it delivers public services using public funding. Organisations like this are often referred to as quangos. NHSE is responsible for the overall management and direction of the health service in England and distributes close to £200bn of NHS funding each year.

Health secretary Wes Streeting said the government was “abolishing the biggest quango in the world” by getting rid of NHSE. Its functions would be taken into the DHSC. The transition period, before NHSE fully closes, will be 2 years. During this period, NHSE will oversee holding local and regional NHS bodies to account for patient outcomes, cutting waiting times and managing spending.

The health secretary confirmed that overall staffing at DHSC and NHSE will be reduced by 50%. The RCN represents nursing staff working at the 2 organisations and is supporting those members affected.

Nicola added: “As the largest workforce in the NHS, delivering the vast majority of care, it is vital our expertise is heard at the top table of government. The chief nurse must have a place alongside the other new medical directors within the department.”

This news will be unsettling to many members working in NHS England, but rest assured the RCN is on hand to help. Make sure to reach out to RCN advice or member support services if you’re struggling. We’ll be arranging meetings in the coming weeks where members impacted can ask questions and raise any concerns.