Health secretary admits 'risk of disruption' in NHS overhaul

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said there is a "risk of disruption" in the NHS as he attempts to overhaul the service and reduce waste, but has promised long-term improvements.

On Thursday, Streeting announced NHS England, a public administrative body, would be scrapped to save money and give ministers more control of health services.

The Labour government expects the move will take two years and save hundreds of millions of pounds that can be spent on frontline NHS services.

Appearing on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Streeting defended the reforms but admitted there would be challenges.

When asked about the impact on patient care, he said: "Of course there are always up-front costs. And yes there is always a risk of disruption."

Streeting said former health secretaries had "not been prepared to take on those sorts of challenges" and argued NHS England "was set up to shield politicians like me from responsibility".

He said: "I've seen waste, inefficiency and duplication. So of course we should go after that."

When asked for a second time if patient care would be disrupted by the government's reorganisation of the NHS, Streeting promised to deliver improvements and said waiting lists for treatment had already been falling.

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Source: BBC News, 16 March 2025