Keir Starmer has announced plans to scrap NHS England, aiming to cut bureaucracy and improve patient care.
The prime minister said the move would bring the health service “back into democratic control” and help reduce waiting times. Speaking in Hull, he criticised the “watchdog state” for failing the country and vowed to redirect money from management to frontline services.
NHS England was created in 2012 under the Tory-led coalition government. However, Starmer argued it’s no longer fit for purpose.
‘More Nurses, Less Bureaucracy’
Starmer said:
“I don’t see why decisions about £200bn of taxpayer money for the NHS should be made by an arm’s-length body.”
He added:
“Why spend money on two layers of management when it could go towards nurses, doctors, and GP appointments?”
Starmer promised that scrapping NHS England would “cut red tape” and allow the NHS to focus on patients instead of paperwork.
Final Nail in the Coffin for 2012 Reforms
Health secretary Wes Streeting didn’t hold back, calling the 2012 NHS reorganisation a disaster.
“It led to the longest waiting times, lowest patient satisfaction, and the most expensive NHS in history,” Streeting said.
He added:
“We need more doers and fewer checkers.”
Streeting said the government will shift resources to frontline services, where they’re needed most.
Time to End the ‘Watchdog State’
Starmer also took aim at the wider civil service, criticising the “cottage industry of checkers and blockers” for getting in the way of progress.
“We’ve created a watchdog state that’s out of touch with the priorities of the British people,” he said.
He insisted that public servants want to deliver change — but the current system misdirects their efforts into “blocking.”
“That’s got to end,” Starmer declared.
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