Labour government scraps NHS England

Abstract

Performative politics that will disrupt the health service when patients most need it On 13 March, the UK prime minister announced that the Labour government will scrap NHS England—the national body responsible for the day-to-day management of the English NHS.1 Keir Starmer said the changes would cut bureaucracy and bring the health service “back into democratic control”—and form part of his broader plans to reshape the “flabby” UK state.2 The announcement marks the end of a 12 year experiment of trying to run the NHS more independently from politicians. NHS England was established under Andrew Lansley’s controversial NHS reforms in 2012. But its roots run deeper: throughout the NHS’s history, there have been unresolved questions about the right level of political involvement in managing the health service and attempts to split policy formulation and implementation at the top of government.3 On paper, Lansley’s reforms made this split a reality. Ministers and the Department of Health and Social Care are responsible for setting overall policy direction and defining NHS priorities. NHS England, meanwhile, sits at arm’s length from government and …