Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to dismantle NHS England and place the management of the health service directly under government control. The move, aimed at reducing bureaucracy and improving patient care, marks a significant shift in how the NHS is run.
In a speech on civil service reform, Starmer emphasized that abolishing NHS England would restore the health service to “democratic control” and redirect funding to frontline services. “I can’t, in all honesty, justify to the British public why they should pay for two layers of bureaucracy,” he stated. “That money could and should be used to fund nurses, doctors, operations, and GP appointments.”
Starmer argued that eliminating duplicative functions between NHS England and the Department of Health would streamline operations and improve efficiency. He highlighted that the changes would allow the NHS to focus on reducing waiting times and delivering better healthcare.
“If you can believe it, we’ve got a communications team in NHS England and another in the Department of Health; we have strategy teams in both as well. We’re duplicating tasks that could be done once,” Starmer said. “By stripping this out, we’re freeing up money that can go where it’s needed: the front line.”
The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of empowering healthcare workers by removing bureaucratic obstacles, ensuring that resources are allocated where they are most needed.