UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has revealed plans to dismantle NHS England, a move that could result in the loss of approximately 10,000 jobs.
This decision aims to cut bureaucracy and bring the management of the National Health Service back under government control.
Starmer made this announcement during a visit to northeast England, emphasizing that the savings from job cuts—estimated at hundreds of millions of pounds per year—would be redirected to frontline healthcare services, such as hiring more nurses and doctors and improving access to GP appointments.
NHS England, established in 2013 under the Conservative government, operates independently while being funded by the government. It currently employs around 13,500 people, three times more than the Department of Health. Starmer argued that decisions involving billions of taxpayer pounds should be made directly by the central government.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed that the government aims to reduce the combined workforce of NHS England and the Department of Health by half, which could lead to around 9,500 job losses.
The NHS, which has been struggling with underfunding and low morale for years, has faced strikes and growing patient waiting times. Starmer, who was elected last July, has pledged to reduce waiting times and improve healthcare access as part of his broader strategy to create a more efficient British state.
In addition to reforming the NHS, Starmer plans to reduce the size of the civil service and integrate artificial intelligence to save the government an estimated £45 billion annually.