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

The 'bonfire of bureaucrats' is targeted at getting rid of duplication across the organisations after their labor forces swelled throughout the pandemic.

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

Three more NHS England board members the other day revealed they will stop 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 current leaders to sign up with the exodus are Julian Kelly, the chief financial officer, Emily Lawson, the chief running officer, and Steve Russell, the chief shipment officer and national director for vaccination and screening.

NHS England is the nationwide quango tasked with overseeing the day to day running of the health service and its long-lasting strategy.

It was developed by the Tories in 2013 to offer it greater political independence however Mr Streeting is eager to restore tighter control from within his Department.

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

The deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction of about 4,000 to 6,000 staff members at NHS England over the previous 2 years and about 800 at the Department of Health and Social Care.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is also looking for to tighten his control over the NHS, amidst 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 running officer Emily Lawson (right) are among the current bosses to join the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will become interim chief executive at the start of April, will set up a transition group within NHS England to 'lead the extreme decrease and reshaping 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 difficulties and modifications ahead.'We intend to have a shift group in location to start on the first April 2025 to assist lead us through this period.'

Ms Pritchard said in a note to staff, 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 best support local NHS systems and providers to provide for patients and drive the federal government's reform top priorities.'

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

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

'I have actually delighted in dealing with each of them over the last eight months and I've been impressed by their skill and focus on delivering improvement for patients and staff.

'We are entering a duration of crucial change for our NHS. 'With a stronger relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will interact with the speed and seriousness required to fulfill the scale of the difficulty.'

As of June in 2015, NHS England used just under 15,000 full-time comparable staff, including irreversible, short-lived 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 monetary officer Julian Kelly has also added his name to leaders resigning from their positions

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

UNISON head of health Helga Pile stated: 'Staff will be not surprisingly worried about this abrupt modification of instructions.

'The variety of redundancies being looked for at NHS England has 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 demanding prospect has actually now become more like a headache.

'Fixing a damaged NHS requires a proper strategy, with main bodies resourced and handled effectively so regional services are supported.

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

Matthew Taylor, primary executive of the NHS Confederation, said: 'These modifications are taking place at a scale and pace not expected to begin with, but given the big cost savings that the NHS requires to make this year it makes sense to reduce locations of duplication at a national level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

'NHS England has currently provided substantial cost savings and assisted to deliver enhancements in productivity, but nationwide bodies and local NHS leaders know that more is needed this year.

'These changes represent the most significant improving of the NHS's nationwide architecture in more than a years. It is necessary that regional NHS organisations and other bodies are associated with this change as the immediate next steps end up being clearer, so that a maximum operating design can be developed.

'This must be about doing things in a different way for the benefit of local communities as both patients and taxpayers, in addition to for personnel ahead of yearly study results on Thursday that are yet again anticipated to reveal the severe challenges they face.'

Wes Streeting