The jobs of thousands of health officials are at risk as part of a “radical reduction and reshaping” exercise, NHS leaders have said.
The streamlining of roles at NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) could see the “size of the centre decrease by around half”, health officials announced.
The central NHS body told staff the organisation would be “radically reduced” “to make best possible use of taxpayers’ money”.
Sir Jim Mackey, who begins his role as interim chief executive at the start of April, is to set up a “transition team” in NHS England to lead the “radical reduction and reshaping of the centre with DHSC”.
It is not yet clear how many jobs could be at risk at either organisation.
Reports suggest that leaders want to reduce any duplication of work at the top health organisations.
Unison said that staff will “understandably be concerned”.
The announcement comes just weeks after NHS England revealed plans to reduce its organisational structure by 15% – the equivalent of 2,000 jobs – as part of plans to make £325 million in savings to reinvest in frontline services.
Helga Pile, head of health at Unison, said: “Staff will be understandably concerned about this sudden change of direction.
“The number of redundancies being sought at NHS England has trebled in just a matter of weeks.
“Employees there have already been through the mill with endless rounds of reorganisation. What was already a stressful prospect has now become more like a nightmare.
“Fixing a broken NHS needs a proper plan, with central bodies resourced and managed effectively so local services are supported.
“Rushing through cuts brings a risk of creating a further, more complicated mess and could ultimately hold the NHS back. That would let down the very people who need it most, the patients.”
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “These changes are happening at a scale and pace not anticipated to begin with, but given the huge savings that the NHS needs to make this year it makes sense to reduce areas of duplication at a national level, and for the NHS to be led by a leaner centre.
“These changes represent the biggest reshaping of the NHS’s national architecture in more than a decade.”
The news comes as three more NHS England leaders are to leave their posts amid a major shake-up of the top NHS England team.
Chief financial officer Julian Kelly, chief operating officer Dame Emily Lawson and chief delivery officer Steve Russell will stand down from NHS England at the end of the month.
Last month, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said she was stepping down at the end of March.
Last week, the organisation’s national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis announced he would also be departing in the summer.
