Streeting plans to cut hundreds more NHS quangos

Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced that the abolition of NHS England marks the beginning of a broader effort to reduce bureaucracy in the health service, asserting that hundreds more health quangos could face elimination. In a recent article, he emphasized the inefficiency and waste within the NHS, committing his team to a detailed budget review aimed at cutting down on unnecessary layers of administration. The decision to dissolve NHS England, described as the world's largest quango, was announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as a means to restore control and reduce duplication in the health system. Streeting acknowledged the challenges of change but insisted on the urgency for reform, highlighting the need to overcome vested interests, including trade unions, to ensure the NHS can effectively serve patients. He has tasked new NHS England chair Penny Dash with a comprehensive review of existing bureaucratic structures. This shift represents a significant departure from Streeting's earlier stance against NHS reorganization, as he now recognizes the necessity for substantial changes in the face of a health crisis.