Rammya Mathew: Abolishing NHS England is a reckless gamble with uncertain returns

Abstract

The sudden and unexpected announcement that NHS England is being abolished has left many of us in NHS leadership roles feeling deeply unsettled. The language used by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting—referring to NHS England as “the world’s largest quango”1—was not only offensive but also dismissive of the vast and essential work carried out by people in the organisation. These are the same individuals who orchestrated the most significant vaccination campaign of our lifetime during the covid pandemic, yet they now find their work reduced to mere “needless bureaucracy” while simultaneously learning that their jobs are on the line. Even more concerning is …