United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on Thursday, announced plans to dismantle National Health Service (NHS) England in an effort to reduce administrative overhead within the healthcare system. He explained that this move would reintegrate the management of the NHS under direct government oversight, emphasizing the importance of bringing the service “back into democratic control.”
NHS England, established in 2013 under then-Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, was designed to operate independently from the government, managing aspects of healthcare delivery and administration at arm’s length.
The organization, employing around 13,000 individuals, is currently responsible for ensuring high standards of care, supporting healthcare professionals, and managing the financial resources of the NHS.
According to its official functions, NHS England works with the government to allocate funding and set healthcare priorities, while also regulating and overseeing the safe operation of NHS services.
Speaking during a visit to East Yorkshire, the Prime Minister emphasized that the NHS would now be placed “at the heart of government where it belongs,” with a renewed focus on patients rather than bureaucratic processes. Starmer further noted that the restructuring would free up more funds for healthcare workers, particularly nurses, and lead to a reduction in waiting times across hospitals.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting remarked that this marks the end of the controversial 2012 reorganization of the NHS, which he described as having contributed to extended waiting times, lower patient satisfaction, and increased costs within the health service.