Government has no clear plan for NHS England abolition

The government is abolishing NHS England without a clear plan for how it will be achieved and how it will benefit frontline care, a cross-party group of MPs has warned.

Ministers announced in March that the body responsible for overseeing the health service in England would go, with its functions brought into the Department of Health and Social Care.

But the Public Accounts Committee said it was concerned about the uncertainty being caused and urged the government to set out a clear plan within the next three months.

The government said the move would eliminate “wasteful duplication” and that detailed planning had started.

Alongside the changes at a national level, the 42 local health boards responsible for planning services are also having to shed around half of their 25,000 staff.

The MPs also raised concerns about the “jaw-dropping” amount of money lawyers are making from clinical negligence claims. Of the £2.8bn paid out in 2023-24, nearly a fifth went on legal costs.

It said this was unacceptable and more must be done to improve safety.

Committee chair and Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said the changes to NHS England and local health boards amounted to a major structural reform.

He said strong decision-making and experienced staff would be vital to manage a period of “huge pressure” for the NHS.

“It has been two months since the government’s decision to remove what, up until now, has been seen as a key piece of machinery, without articulating a clear plan for what comes next – and the future for patients and staff remains hazy,” he added.

NHS England, which employs nearly 15,000 staff, is in charge of £193bn of public sector money this year.

The reduction in staffing of abolishing NHS England is expected to save £400m, while the cut in local health board staff is expected to add another £700-750m.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care said the changes would eliminate “wasteful duplication” and a joint board was already working on detailed plans.

“Serious reform is needed to tackle the challenges facing the NHS,” she added.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS trusts, said the changes “marked the biggest reshaping of the NHS in a decade”.

He said that while many managers in the NHS understood the need for change, the lack of detail and how the plans fitted in with the forthcoming 10-year plan were “a cause for concern” for those running the health service.