Further consolidation as NHS England is abolished
In a landmark decision announced today, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared the abolition of NHS England, aiming to streamline healthcare administration and enhance patient services. This move seeks to reduce bureaucracy and reallocate resources directly to frontline care. Established in 2012 to oversee the National Health Service’s (NHS) budget and priorities, NHS England has faced criticism for contributing to administrative inefficiencies. The government’s plan involves integrating NHS England’s functions into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), thereby centralising management and potentially saving hundreds of millions of pounds annually.
This restructuring aligns with recent trends within the NHS to consolidate organisations for improved efficiency. In February 2023, NHS Digital merged with NHS England, unifying data and technology expertise to better support patient care.
Similarly, Health Education England, responsible for workforce training, was integrated into NHS England by April 2023, aiming to align workforce development with service delivery needs.
The dissolution of Public Health England (PHE) in October 2021 further exemplifies this consolidation trend. PHE’s health protection functions transitioned to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), while health improvement responsibilities moved to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities within the DHSC.
Implementing significant organisational changes requires meticulous planning and execution. As a specialist operating model consultancy, Mozaic has played a central role in such transformations, notably designing and implementing the operating model for UKHSA’s formation. This involved merging Public Health England, Test & Trace, and the Joint Biosecurity Centre while divesting its Health Improvement function—all amid the ongoing Covid pandemic. Mozaic developed a Day 1 operating model for UKHSA’s combined IT teams, alongside support and recharge agreements for receiving organisations such as DHSC, NHS England, and NHS Digital. As the NHS embarks on this new phase of restructuring, the expertise of consultancies like Mozaic will be essential in ensuring a seamless transition.
Kieran Bayles, Healthcare Sector Lead, Mozaic Commented:
“Today’s news of the abolition of NHS England will send shockwaves through the NHS.
“It is a significant and serious decision, but the intent from the UK Government is clear, overlaps must be removed and cost efficiencies must be found through consolidation. It is the most recent in several mergers and dissolutions in the UK’s public health sector since 2021. From here, focus must be on effecting these changes in a way that maintains service delivery while achieving the intended cost savings. To do so, operating model design principles and process must be at the heart of what comes next.”
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Mozaic is a specialist consultancy helping organisations to assess and improve their strategy, delivery and operations. Our experienced team and proven capabilities make us the partner of choice for strategy development, change & transformation design and implementation. We work collaboratively alongside clients to design and implement radical improvements; leading strategy development, leveraging appropriate tools and technology, and facilitating transformations that drive engagement to achieve new ways of working and unlock business value. We have worked with over 100 clients to assess, define, and ultimately transition/transform, many large public and private sector organisations.