The UK government is pushing ahead with plans to abolish NHS England and integrate it into the Department of Health and Social Care. Up to 18,000 NHS staff across England face job losses by mid-March 2026, marking one of the largest health service reorganizations in more than a decade. The Treasury has agreed to a £1 billion fund to cover this year's redundancy payments.
Around 3,000 staff have already expressed interest in voluntary redundancy, with applications open between 1 and 14 December. NHS England aims for a 50 per cent reduction in roles, while Integrated Care Boards will halve their management staff. The move affects predominantly administrative and managerial positions across both organizations.
Government's rationale
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the decision, stating that an "arms-length" body should not oversee NHS England's £150 billion annual budget. Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC: «People want to see the front line prioritised, and that's exactly what we're doing.» Ministers claim the reforms will save £1 billion annually by 2028, enough to fund around 116,000 hip and knee operations.
Critical voices from healthcare experts
Patricia Marquis, Executive Director of the Royal College of Nursing England, challenged the government's approach: «Frontline services need more investment, but to do this off the backs of making thousands of experts redundant is a false economy.» She emphasized that expert nurses working across NHS England and ICBs connect health and social care services with one another.
Dr Tom Dolphin, chair of the British Medical Association council, called for investment in staff rotas, training positions for doctors, and addressing the nearly £16 billion NHS maintenance backlog. He urged the Health Secretary to recognize that investment in staff, training, buildings and equipment is needed if savings are to translate into improved patient care. Helga Pile, head of health at UNISON, described the process as a "shambles" and warned: «Large-scale redundancies like these should never be callously dismissed as cuts to 'bureaucracy'.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
