Plans to cut staff numbers in half at NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care were revealed yesterday amidst extreme cost-cutting steps.

The 'bonfire of bureaucrats' is focused on removing duplication throughout the organisations after their workforces swelled during the pandemic.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is also 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 announced they will give up at the end of this month, following the recent resignations of president Amanda Pritchard and nationwide medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.

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

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

It was developed by the Tories in 2013 to give it higher political independence but Mr Streeting is eager to regain tighter control from within his Department.

NHS England stated in a statement: 'As part of the requirement to make finest possible use of taxpayers' money to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be radically decreased and could see the size of the centre reduction by around half.'

The much deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction 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, amidst plans to cut staff 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 running officer Emily Lawson (ideal) are among the newest managers to sign up with the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will become interim primary executive at the start of April, will set up a transition group within NHS England to 'lead the radical decrease and improving of the centre with the Department of Health and Social Care'.

He said: 'We understand that today's news is unsettling for our staff, and we have considerable obstacles and changes ahead.'We intend to have a shift team in location to start on the 1st April 2025 to help lead us through this period.'

Ms Pritchard said in a note to personnel, seen by the Health Service Journal: 'In the last couple of weeks, I have said I believe the time is right for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to finest support regional NHS systems and service providers to deliver for clients and drive the federal government's reform top priorities.'

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

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

'I've enjoyed working with each of them over the last 8 months and I have actually been impressed by their skill and concentrate on delivering improvement for clients and personnel.

'We are getting in a period of vital improvement for our NHS. 'With a more powerful relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will interact with the speed and urgency needed to satisfy the scale of the challenge.'

Since June in 2015, NHS England used just under 15,000 full-time equivalent staff, including long-term, temporary and consultancy. The Department of Health and Social Care had around 9,000, consisting of the UK Health Security Agency. These are both around 30 percent more than in January 2020.

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

Professor Stephen Powis, the NHS nationwide medical director, revealed last week he would step down this summertime

UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: 'Staff will be understandably worried about this unexpected modification 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 already been through the mill with endless rounds of reorganisation. What was already a stressful prospect has actually now become more like a problem.

'Fixing a damaged NHS requires an appropriate plan, with main bodies resourced and managed effectively so local services are supported.

'Rushing through cuts brings a risk of creating an even more, more complex mess and might eventually hold the NHS back. That would let down the very people who need it most, the clients.'

Matthew Taylor, president of the NHS Confederation, stated: 'These modifications are occurring at a scale and pace not expected to begin with, but offered the huge that the NHS requires to make this year it makes sense to minimize areas of duplication at a nationwide level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

'NHS England has actually currently delivered significant cost savings and helped to provide enhancements in performance, however national bodies and regional NHS leaders understand that more is needed this year.

'These changes represent the biggest improving of the NHS's nationwide architecture in more than a decade. It is crucial that local NHS organisations and other bodies are included in this improvement as the immediate next actions end up being clearer, so that an optimum operating model can be created.

'This need to have to do with doing things in a different way for the advantage of local communities as both patients and taxpayers, in addition to for personnel ahead of yearly survey results on Thursday that are yet again anticipated to show the severe difficulties they deal with.'

Wes Streeting