Up to 30,000 jobs could be cut as part of Labour’s plan to overhaul the NHS, it was reported last night.
The figure is far higher than the 10,000 roles set to be axed by abolishing NHS England.
When steep cost-cutting elsewhere is added to closing down what the Government dubbed the ‘world’s largest quango’, the full extent of the losses is set to be between 20,000 and 30,000.
This includes thousands who work for the NHS’s 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) in England.
ICBs, regional health service bodies which oversee groups of NHS trusts, employ 25,000 people.
Sir Jim Mackey, who is set to become NHS England’s new chief executive from next month, has instructed the ICBs to cut their running costs by 50 per cent by the end of the year.
‘Given ICBs employ 25,000 people, that means that half of them are going to go,’ a senior NHS official told The Guardian.
Sir Jim has also told the 220 NHS trusts that provide care across England to employ fewer people in departments such as HR, finance and communications.
Keir Starmer gestures during a Q&A session after delivering a speech on plans to reform the civil service, during a visit to Reckitt Benckiser Health Care UK Ltd in Kingston upon Hull, England, Thursday, March 13, 2025
File photo. When steep cost-cutting elsewhere is added to closing down what the Government dubbed the ‘world’s largest quango’, the full extent of the losses is set to be between 20,000 and 30,000
Sir Jim Mackey has also told 220 NHS England trusts to employ fewer people in certain departments
Health secretary Wes Streeting said despite declining quality of care, the NHS is more expensive than ever
Tory minister Robert Jenrick supports the move.
Asked whether he wished the Conservatives had scrapped NHS England while in power, Mr Jenrick told Sky News: ‘I think that probably is something that we should have done.’
The abolition of NHS England is expected to cost the taxpayer up to £800million in redundancy payments.
Detailing the closure, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘Today, the NHS delivers worse care for patients, but is more expensive than ever before.’
