"Is it a good idea for the frontline of the NHS to get rid of two sets of comms teams, two sets of strategy teams, two sets of policy teams, where people are basically doing the same thing? Yes, it is."
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer
The NHS Commissioning Board was renamed NHS England in March 2013, after it was given autonomy by former-Conservative Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in 2012. This decision was made to free the organisation from interference by politicians.
In 2018, it was announced that NHS England, while maintaining its statutory independence, would be merged with NHS Improvement. At the time, Simon Stevens, CEO of NHSE, and Ian Dalton, CEO of NHSI, jointly stated: "The public sees the National Health Service as a single organisation, so it’s right that the national leadership of the NHS work more closely."
Today, during a speech in Hull, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that NHS England is being abolished, citing cost-saving and bureaucracy-slashing as justification: "For too long, politicians have chosen to hide behind vast arrays of quangos."
He said: "I don’t see why decisions about £200bn of taxpayer money on something as fundamental to our security as the NHS should be taken by an arm’s length body, NHS England.
"And I can’t, in all honesty, explain to the British people why they should spend their money on two layers of bureaucracy [NHS England and the Department of Health & Social Care]. That money could and should be spent on nurses, doctors, operations, GP appointments."
Amanda Pritchard, CEO of NHS England, told staff in an email on Monday that as a direct result of the Department of Health & Social Care’s decision to change its relationship with the NHS, employment contracts across NHS England and the Department of Health & Social Care could "decrease by around half" – approximately 9,000 contracts. The government said work would begin immediately, aiming to complete this transition in two years.
"Is it a good idea for the frontline of the NHS to get rid of two sets of comms teams, two sets of strategy teams, two sets of policy teams, where people are basically doing the same thing? Yes, it is," Starmer added.
The decision to abolish NHS England comes weeks after Pritchard announced her intention to step down as CEO at the end of March 2025. She said it has been an "enormous privilege to lead the NHS in England through what has undoubtedly been the most difficult period in its history."
James Mackey will succeed Pritchard as Transition CEO of NHS England. He believes that while the news is "unsettling" for staff, it will help "deliver the biggest bang for our bucks for patients."
To note, new data released by the NHS earlier today showed the average wait for tests and checks has decreased to a 5-year low. Patients were waiting an average of 17 days for tests and checks in January, which is a 43-day reduction since the height of the Pandemic (May 2020).
NHS teams delivered more than 2.5mn checks in January – this is 5% higher than in 2024. The total waiting list fell for the fifth month in a row, reducing to 7.43mn.
Wes Streeting, Health & Social Care Secretary, said, "Although there is still a long way to go, after more than a decade of rising NHS waiting lists, this government has already cut them by 193k. Through the Prime Minister’s ‘Plan for Change’, we will cut the longest waiting lists so the NHS is there for you when you need it."
Responding to these findings, Brett Hill, Head of Health & Protection at Broadstone, said, "While it’s encouraging to see the NHS waiting lists dip slightly, significant process is yet to be made in returning to pre-pandemic levels – keeping in mind that pre-pandemic levels were at a historical high after eight years of waiting lists steadily increasing.
"Private healthcare has rapidly become a vital component of the UK’s wider healthcare system, whether that’s self-funded treatment, households purchasing Private Medical Insurance (PMI) or employer-funded healthcare benefits."
Brett highlighted that the latest data published by the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) showed PMI-funded hospital admissions were at record levels (612k), going above pre-pandemic figures for the first time. Notably, in the final three months of 2023, 161k private hospital admissions were funded by PMI policies.
READ MORE: PMI-funded hospital admissions continue to grow whilst self-pay remains steady
"Preventative healthcare, such as early screenings and intervention, are essential for both employee health and business productivity. They help reduce the impact of delayed care, support workforce wellbeing, and long-term business growth," he concluded.
