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

The 'bonfire of bureaucrats' is targeted at removing duplication across the organisations after their workforces swelled during the pandemic.

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

Three more NHS England board members yesterday revealed they will stop at the end of this month, following the current resignations of president Amanda Pritchard and national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis.

The most recent leaders to join the exodus are Julian Kelly, the chief financial officer, Emily Lawson, the chief operating officer, and Steve Russell, the chief shipment officer and national director for vaccination and screening.

NHS England is the nationwide quango entrusted with supervising the daily running of the health service and its long-term method.

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

NHS England stated in a statement: 'As part of the requirement to make best possible usage of taxpayers' cash to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be radically reduced and could see the size of the centre decrease by around half.'

The much deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction of about 4,000 to 6,000 employees at NHS England over the past 2 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, in the middle of 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 operating officer Emily Lawson (best) are amongst the most current employers to join the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will end up being interim president at the start of April, will set up a transition team within NHS England to 'lead the radical reduction 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 personnel, and we have substantial challenges and changes ahead.'We aim to have a transition group in location to begin on the 1st April 2025 to help lead us through this duration.'

Ms Pritchard said in a note to staff, seen by the Health Service Journal: 'In the last number of weeks, I have actually stated I think the time is right for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to best support regional NHS systems and providers to provide for clients and drive the government's reform concerns.'

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

Mr Streeting said: 'I 'd like to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their dedication as public servants, and their operate in specific helping steer the NHS through the pandemic.

'I've delighted in working with each of them over the last 8 months and I have actually been impressed by their ability and focus on delivering enhancement for patients and staff.

'We are going into a duration of vital improvement for our NHS. 'With a stronger relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will collaborate with the speed and seriousness needed to meet the scale of the obstacle.'

Since June in 2015, used simply under 15,000 full-time comparable personnel, consisting of permanent, short-term and consultancy. The Department of Health and Social Care had around 9,000, including the UK Health Security Agency. These are both around 30 percent more than in January 2020.

NHS England chief financial officer Julian Kelly has also 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 summer

UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: 'Staff will be not surprisingly concerned about this sudden change of instructions.

'The variety of redundancies being sought at NHS England has trebled in simply a matter of weeks.

'Em ployees there have actually currently been through the mill with limitless rounds of reorganisation. What was already a difficult possibility has actually now become more like a problem.

'Fixing a broken NHS needs an appropriate plan, with central bodies resourced and managed efficiently so regional services are supported.

'Rushing through cuts brings a danger of creating a further, more complex mess and could ultimately hold the NHS back. That would pull down the very individuals who require it most, the clients.'

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, stated: 'These modifications are taking place at a scale and rate not anticipated to begin with, however given the big savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes sense to reduce areas of duplication at a nationwide level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

'NHS England has already provided considerable cost savings and helped to provide improvements in performance, however national bodies and local NHS leaders know 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 very important that local NHS organisations and other bodies are involved in this change as the instant next steps end up being clearer, so that a maximum operating model can be created.

'This need to be about doing things differently for the benefit of local neighborhoods as both patients and taxpayers, along with for staff ahead of yearly survey results on Thursday that are yet again expected to reveal the extreme difficulties they face.'

Wes Streeting