Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to bring the NHS back into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) by abolishing NHS England, the independent organisation that oversees the NHS.
In a speech made in Hull on Thursday 13 March, the Prime Minister said that this move is aimed at bringing the NHS directly under central government control, eliminating duplicated roles, and redirecting resources to frontline services for improved patient care.
Head of Health and Life Sciences at UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson Gerard Hanratty, has weighed in on the government's proposed restructuring of state-based healthcare delivery.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to bring the NHS back into the Department of Health and Social Care
According to Hanratty, greater clarity is needed on how this new approach will regulate NHS commissioners and providers, particularly given recent cost-cutting measures.
Hanratty warns that, while the government remains committed to reducing waiting lists and improving patient care, large-scale reorganisations risk disrupting the system.
Ensuring that innovation such as AI and digital health solutions stays at the forefront is crucial, he adds.
It’s clear the government wants to create a ‘one team’ approach across state-based healthcare delivery
Hanratty said: “It’s clear the government wants to create a ‘one team’ approach across state-based healthcare delivery, but we will need to see more detail about how this new structure will regulate local NHS commissioners and providers.
“Coming hot on the heels of an announcement hours earlier that integrated care boards (ICBs) will be asked to cut costs by 50%, we also need to understand what role ICBs will have in this new system.
“From a broader perspective, the government has clearly-stated missions around bringing down waiting lists and improving patient care during this parliament.
“It’s therefore crucial it doesn’t allow the merger of NHS England and Department for Health and Social Care over the next two years to impact this work by unsettling the system and taking away the focus from the principle objectives of the NHS, because our previous experience shows that large-scale reorganisation can often disrupt progress.
“Leaders in government, NHS England, and local NHS commissioners and providers will need to be clear on how they will still take forward this agenda, while not slowing down longer-term ambitions like the integration of emerging technologies such as AI into the NHS.”
Tickets for the Cleanroom Technology Conference are now available for £99! This year, we’re featuring speakers from AstraZeneca, Novartis, STERIS, and more. Get yours here.
The Prime Minister’s decision has also faced criticism from union leaders, who argued that it could lead to job cuts, instability, and demoralisation among staff.
Unite, one of the leading unions for healthcare workers in the UK, said that it, along with other healthcare trade unions, was not “briefed, consulted or involved in the decision by the health secretary or other government officials.”
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: "The NHS is one of the largest organisations in the world and hugely complex. It requires technical and clinical experts and a vast administrative staff for payroll, procurement, human resources and a multitude of other back office roles to make it work effectively.
"Taking an axe to these jobs is an ill-thought-out strategy that could end up meaning frontline healthcare staff struggle to do their jobs effectively if they aren't paid on time, don't have basic medical supplies or are forced to do additional administrative work rather than treat patients."
[QUOTE] Taking an axe to these jobs is an ill-thought-out strategy that could end up meaning frontline healthcare staff struggle to do their jobs effectively if they aren't paid on time
Starmer emphasised that the move is not a return to austerity but part of broader government efforts to modernise public services using technology and artificial intelligence.
The goal is to reduce administrative costs and increase efficiency within the NHS. However, Starmer did not give any details about a timeline or implementation steps in his speech.
This reform is part of Starmer's larger agenda to restructure the British state, focusing on enhancing efficiency and public trust in the civil service.