Plans to cut staff numbers in half at NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care were revealed the other day in the middle of drastic cost-cutting steps.

The 'bonfire of bureaucrats' is focused on eliminating duplication throughout the organisations after their labor forces swelled during the pandemic.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is also seeking to tighten his control over the NHS, provide better value for taxpayers and free-up cash for the frontline.

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

The most recent leaders to join the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary monetary officer, Emily Lawson, the chief running officer, and Steve Russell, the chief delivery officer and national director for vaccination and screening.

NHS England is the national quango entrusted with overseeing the daily running of the health service and its long-lasting technique.

It was established by the Tories in 2013 to offer it higher political self-reliance but Mr Streeting is keen to regain tighter control from within his Department.

NHS England stated in a statement: 'As part of the requirement to make finest possible usage of taxpayers' cash to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be significantly reduced and might see the size of the centre decline by around half.'

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

Health secretary Wes Streeting is also seeking to tighten his control over the NHS, amid strategies to cut personnel 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 chief operating officer Emily Lawson (best) are among the most current managers to join the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will end up being interim chief executive at the start of April, will establish a transition team within NHS England to 'lead the radical reduction and improving of the centre with the Department of Health and Social Care'.

He said: 'We understand that today's news is disturbing for our personnel, and we have substantial challenges and modifications ahead.'We aim to have a transition group in location to begin on the first April 2025 to help lead us through this duration.'

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

She said Mr Streeting had actually asked Sir Jim and Penny Dash, the incoming NHS England chair, to 'lead this work, providing substantial modifications in our relationship with DHSC to eliminate duplication'.

Mr Streeting said: 'I 'd like to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their dedication as public servants, and their work in particular helping guide the NHS through the pandemic.

'I've taken pleasure in dealing with each of them over the last 8 months and I have actually been impressed by their skill and focus on delivering enhancement for patients and personnel.

'We are getting in a period of important change for our NHS. 'With a stronger relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will work together with the speed and urgency needed to meet the scale of the difficulty.'

Since June last year, NHS England employed simply under 15,000 full-time comparable staff, consisting of irreversible, temporary 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 primary monetary officer Julian Kelly has actually also added his name to leaders resigning from their positions

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

UNISON head of health Helga Pile stated: 'Staff will be not surprisingly concerned about this unexpected change of direction.

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

'Em ployees there have actually already been through the mill with unlimited rounds of reorganisation. What was already a difficult prospect has now become more like a headache.

'Fixing a broken NHS requires an appropriate plan, with central bodies resourced and managed effectively so regional services are supported.

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

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, stated: 'These changes are happening at a scale and rate not anticipated to begin with, however offered the big savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes good sense to reduce 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 helped to deliver improvements in productivity, however nationwide bodies and local NHS leaders understand that more is required this year.

'These changes represent the most significant reshaping of the NHS's nationwide architecture in more than a years. It is essential that regional NHS organisations and other bodies are involved in this improvement as the immediate next actions become clearer, so that an optimum operating design can be developed.

'This should be about doing things differently for the advantage of regional communities as both patients and taxpayers, along with for personnel ahead of yearly survey results on Thursday that are yet once again expected to show the extreme obstacles they face.'

Wes Streeting