Abolished to perfection? Building a better centre for the NHS

Summary

On 13 March 2025, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the abolition of NHS England, the arm’s-length body responsible for overseeing, planning, funding and delivering the health service – with its functions to be merged back into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

In response, the Nuffield Trust and the Institute for Government have come together to examine how this change can be used to create a more effective centre for the health service – and how such a complex transition can be managed well. While recognising the expertise and experience of those leading the process within government, our work seeks to draw out wider lessons from history and other sectors to give the reform of the DHSC the best chance at success.