The 100-Year Life Health Education and Government
NHS England, the body responsible for the operations and funding of the health service, is being abolished by the Labour government.
Established in 2013 by former Tory health secretary Andrew Lansley, NHS England employs thousands of people and was designed to allow the service to run at arm’s length from government.
In its place, Keir Starmer has said the NHS England’s functions will be taken on by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Starmer said the major shakeup will “cut bureaucracy” and bring management “back into democratic control”.
Health policy experts had largely accepted that significant reform of NHS England was needed.
But explaining why a bonfire reform will make for better patient care and not just soak up parliamentary and ministerial time may still keep Starmer busy.
