On 13 March, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that NHS England (NHSE) will be abolished.

Leading healthcare organisations, the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), the Health Foundation, and the King’s Fund, have all reacted to this major announcement and what this might mean for the healthcare sector going forwards.

NHSE will be brought back into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) “where it belongs”, according to the Prime Minister. The abolishment is designed to reduce duplication across NHSE and the DHSC, cut bureaucracy and inefficiencies, and shift money to the frontline.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said that NHSE will be brought into the DHSC entirely over the next two years.

David Stockdale, Chief Executive of the BHTA, highlights that for the many BHTA members that provide healthcare equipment and services to the NHS, the comment from DHSC that the abolishment of NHSE will speed up deployment of cutting-edge technology through a centralised procurement model is welcome news.

“In theory, the idea of abolishing NHS England to reduce duplication across NHSE and DHSC and speed up procurement of cutting-edge technology is great news,” David said.

“We’ve heard from members many times that the procurement process across the NHS is fragmented, inconsistent, and unnecessarily complicated.

“In practice, we hope that this major change leads to our members not having to re-submit the same details every time they apply for an NHS contract, local NHS systems selecting innovative and value-adding healthcare products over simply the lowest price, and a consistent, straightforward procurement process across England.

“Our upcoming conference is a great chance for BHTA members and non-members alike to hear directly from senior leaders at NHS Supply Chain who will be able to shed some light on this major reform. Conference tickets can be purchased here.”

Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, feels that this major change will be disruptive and could end up impacting patient care negatively.

“Abolishing NHS England is a watershed moment in how the English NHS is governed and managed – and ends a 12 year experiment with trying to manage the NHS more independently from ministers,” Hugh said.

“There is some logic in bringing the workings of NHS England and the government more closely together – for example, to help provide clarity to the health service on priorities for improvement. And – in reality – it is impossible to take politics out of the NHS.

“But history tells us that rejigging NHS organisations is hugely distracting and rarely delivers the benefits politicians expect.

“Scrapping NHS England completely will cause disruption and divert time and energy of senior leaders at a time when attention should be focused on improving care for patients. It will also eat up the time of ministers, with new legislation likely needed.

“Expected cuts to local NHS management budgets will add to the disruption, and may undermine the NHS’s ability to implement the government’s plans for improving the NHS. Reforming NHS bureaucracy is not the same as reforming patient care – and government must be careful that these changes don’t get in the way.”

Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, echoes Hugh’s thoughts and questions whether this change will positively impact on people’s health in the long run.

She reacted: “The most important question is how will the abolition of NHS England make it easier for people to get a GP appointment, shorten waits for planned care and improve people’s health? That hasn’t yet been set out – ministers will need to explain how the prize will be worth the price.

“It is absolutely right that democratically elected politicians must have clear oversight of how the NHS delivers for patients and spends hundreds of billions of taxpayer money. It is also reasonable to want to deliver better value by reducing duplication and waste between two national bodies where they are performing a similar role. It is true that over its just over a decade of existence, NHS England has been asked to take on a lot more additional power, functions and therefore staff, than it was originally designed to do.

“Having now made the decision to abolish NHS England, and while we still wait for the publication of the NHS 10 Year Plan, the government must be clear why this significant structural change at this time is necessary, and how it fits into their wider plans. The potential cost savings would be minimal in the context of the entire NHS budget, and so they must ensure that the changes produce the improved effectiveness which is sought by making this change.

“As with previous NHS restructures, structural change comes with significant opportunity cost, with staff who would otherwise be spending their time trying to improve productivity, ensure safety and get the best outcomes for patients, now worrying about whether they will have a job.”