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

The 'bonfire of bureaucrats' is focused on getting rid of duplication throughout 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 money for the frontline.

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

The current leaders to join the exodus are Julian Kelly, the primary monetary officer, Emily Lawson, the chief operating officer, and Steve Russell, the chief delivery officer and national director for vaccination and screening.

NHS England is the nationwide quango tasked with managing the day to day running of the health service and its long-term technique.

It was developed by the Tories in 2013 to provide it greater political self-reliance however Mr Streeting is eager to restore tighter control from within his Department.

NHS England stated in a statement: 'As part of the need to make finest possible usage of taxpayers' money to support frontline services, the size of NHS England will be radically reduced and might see the size of the centre decline by around half.'

The deeper staffing cuts follow a reduction of about 4,000 to 6,000 staff members at NHS England over the previous two 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, amidst plans to cut personnel 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 Steve Russell (left) and chief operating officer Emily Lawson (ideal) are among the current employers to join the exodus

Sir Jim Mackey, who will end up being interim president at the start of April, will establish 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 stated: 'We understand that today's news is upsetting for our staff, and we have substantial challenges and modifications ahead.'We aim to have a transition team in place to begin on the first April 2025 to assist lead us through this duration.'

Ms Pritchard stated in a note to staff, seen by the Health Service Journal: 'In the last couple of weeks, I have actually said I believe the time is right for radical reform of the size and functions of the centre to best support local NHS systems and companies to deliver for clients and drive the government's reform top priorities.'

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 get rid of duplication'.

Mr Streeting stated: 'I 'd like to put on record my thanks to Julian, Emily and Steve for their devotion as public servants, and their work in specific helping guide the NHS through the pandemic.

'I've enjoyed dealing with each of them over the last eight months and I have actually been impressed by their ability and focus on delivering improvement for clients and staff.

'We are getting in a period of vital change for our NHS. 'With a more powerful relationship in between the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, we will collaborate with the speed and urgency needed to satisfy the scale of the obstacle.'

Since June last year, NHS England utilized just under 15,000 full-time comparable personnel, including permanent, short-lived and consultancy. The Department of Health and Social Care had around 9,000, consisting of the UK Health Security Agency. These are both around 30 per cent 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 national medical director, announced recently he would step down this summertime

UNISON head of health Helga Pile stated: 'Staff will be understandably worried about this unexpected change of direction.

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

'Em ployees there have currently been through the mill with endless rounds of reorganisation. What was currently a stressful prospect has now become more like a nightmare.

'Fixing a broken NHS requires an appropriate plan, with main bodies resourced and handled effectively so regional services are supported.

'Rushing through cuts brings a threat of developing an even more, more complex mess and might ultimately hold the NHS back. That would let down the very people who require it most, the clients.'

Matthew Taylor, president of the NHS Confederation, said: 'These modifications are occurring at a scale and speed not anticipated to start with, however provided the huge cost savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes good sense to lower locations of duplication at a nationwide level and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.

'NHS England has actually already provided significant cost savings and assisted to deliver improvements in productivity, however nationwide bodies and regional NHS leaders know that more is needed this year.

'These modifications represent the greatest improving of the NHS's national architecture in more than a years. It is necessary that regional NHS organisations and other bodies are involved in this improvement as the instant next steps become clearer, so that a maximum operating design can be created.

'This must have to do with doing things in a different way for the advantage of local neighborhoods as both clients and taxpayers, in addition to for staff ahead of yearly study results on Thursday that are yet once again expected to show the extreme challenges they deal with.'

Wes Streeting