Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of headcount reductions in (a) NHS England, (b) his Department and (c) Integrated Care Boards on the implementation of the 10 Year Health Plan.

Following the announcement that NHS England will be abolished as an arm’s length body and replaced by a new Department of Health and Social Care, a transformation programme has been launched, led by Richard Barker as Senior Responsible Officer.

It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, including headcount reductions in NHS England and the Department, as is due process. Evidence from these ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.

To support future planning, NHS England has published the Model ICB Blueprint, which sets out the strategic role of integrated care boards (ICBs). Their responsibilities will continue to focus on population health management, including understanding local needs, developing long-term strategies, allocating resources, and evaluating impact.

The new Department will operate in a leaner, more agile and more efficient way and empower staff at all levels of the health system to deliver better care for patients, drive productivity up and get waiting times down. This change will set local National Health Service providers free to innovate, develop new productive ways of working, and focus on what matters most.

The Government is committed to transparency and will consider how best to ensure the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.