NHS England to cut workforce by half in major restructuring

NHS ENGLAND will reduce its workforce from 13,000 to about 6,500 as part of a restructuring led by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

The changes aim to cut costs and eliminate duplication with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), The Guardian reported.

The downsizing, which goes beyond the previously announced loss of 2,000 jobs to save £175m, was communicated to staff by NHS England’s outgoing chief executive, Amanda Pritchard.

She stated that Streeting had directed the restructuring and asked incoming chief executive Jim Mackey and new chair Dr Penny Dash to lead a “radical reform” of NHS England’s size and functions.

A formal transition team of NHS England and DHSC officials will oversee the changes, reporting to Dash and Alan Milburn, the former Labour health secretary appointed as DHSC’s lead non-executive director. Pritchard said the restructuring would be “unsettling” for staff.

Several senior NHS England leaders are leaving, including Julian Kelly, Emily Lawson, and Steve Russell, who will depart alongside Pritchard. National medical director Prof Sir Stephen Powis also announced his exit.

NHS England staff expressed concerns about the scale and speed of the changes, The Guardian reported. One staffer said people were “baffled, unnerved and fearful.”

Streeting has sought greater control over NHS England, which has been semi-independent since the 2012 reforms. Further job cuts and leadership changes are expected as part of the restructuring.

Mackey and Pritchard recently warned NHS leaders of a potential £6.6bn overspend in 2025/26 and said a “fundamental reset” of the financial system was needed.