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

The 'bonfire of bureaucrats' is intended at eliminating duplication across the organisations after their workforces swelled throughout the pandemic.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is likewise seeking to tighten his control over the NHS, deliver better worth for taxpayers and free-up money for the frontline.

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

The most recent leaders to sign up with the exodus are Julian Kelly, the chief monetary officer, Emily Lawson, the chief operating officer, and Steve Russell, the chief delivery officer and nationwide director for vaccination and screening.

NHS England is the nationwide quango tasked with supervising the everyday running of the health service and its long-lasting technique.

It was developed by the Tories in 2013 to provide it greater political self-reliance however Mr Streeting is eager to gain back tighter control from within his Department.

NHS England stated in a statement: 'As part of the need to make best possible use of taxpayers' cash to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be drastically decreased and could see the size of the centre decline by around half.'

The deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction of about 4,000 to 6,000 workers at NHS England over the past 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 plans to cut staff numbers in half at NHS England and the Department of Health

Former NHS England chief Amanda will step down from her position at the end of this month

NHS England chief delivery officer Steve Russell (left) and chief running officer Emily Lawson (ideal) are among the current managers to join the exodus

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

He stated: 'We understand that today's news is unsettling for our personnel, and we have substantial challenges and changes ahead.'We intend to have a transition group in place to begin on the 1st April 2025 to help lead us through this duration.'

Ms Pritchard said in a note to personnel, seen by the Health Service Journal: 'In the last couple of weeks, I have actually stated I think the time is best for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to best assistance regional NHS systems and companies to deliver for clients and drive the government's reform concerns.'

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

Mr Streeting said: 'I wish to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their devotion as public servants, and their operate in specific assisting guide the NHS through the pandemic.

'I've delighted in working with each of them over the last eight months and I have actually been impressed by their skill and focus on providing enhancement for clients and staff.

'We are getting in a duration of crucial transformation for our NHS. 'With a more powerful relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will collaborate with the speed and urgency needed to satisfy the scale of the difficulty.'

As of June last year, NHS England employed just under 15,000 full-time equivalent staff, including long-term, momentary and consultancy. The Department of Health and Social Care had around 9,000, including the UK Health Security Agency. These are both around 30 per cent more than in January 2020.

NHS England primary financial officer Julian Kelly has likewise included his name to leaders resigning from their positions

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

UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: 'Staff will be naturally worried about this unexpected modification of direction.

'The variety of redundancies being sought at NHS England has trebled in simply a matter of weeks.

'Em ployees there have already been through the mill with limitless rounds of reorganisation. What was currently a demanding possibility has now become more like a problem.

'Fixing a broken NHS requires a proper plan, with central bodies resourced and handled successfully so regional services are supported.

'Rushing through cuts brings a risk of producing a further, more complex mess and could ultimately hold the NHS back. That would let down the very people who need it most, the patients.'

Matthew Taylor, primary executive of the NHS Confederation, stated: 'These modifications are happening at a scale and speed not anticipated to begin with, however given the big savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes sense to lower locations of duplication at a national level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

'NHS England has actually already delivered substantial cost savings and assisted to provide enhancements in efficiency, but nationwide bodies and regional NHS leaders know that more is needed this year.

'These changes represent the most significant improving of the NHS's national architecture in more than a years. It is necessary that regional NHS organisations and other bodies are included in this change as the instant next actions end up being clearer, so that an optimum operating model can be created.

'This need to be about doing things in a different way for the advantage of local neighborhoods as both clients and taxpayers, along with for staff ahead of annual study results on Thursday that are yet once again anticipated to reveal the extreme obstacles they deal with.'

Wes Streeting