Minister makes veiled threat to NHS officials as he hints at staff cuts

In what may turn out to be his only major speech before his replacement next week, curator Steve Barclay suggested the ax could fall on staff non-clinical amid demands for considerable savings

Health Secretary Steve Barclay has hinted at a culling of health service managers (

Image: PA)

The Acting Health Secretary today issued a veiled threat to NHS officials - and said central targets could be scrapped in a desperate bid to tackle waiting times.

In what may turn out to be his only major speech before his replacement next week, Conservative Steve Barclay suggested the ax could fall on non-clinical staff amid demands for huge savings.

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Mr. Barclay said it had asked the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and other 'independent organisations' to provide an organizational chart by the end of the month - to identify the management levels.

He told the Policy Exchange think tank: "This will hopefully stimulate a conversation within the NHS about how priorities and resources are aligned."

Mr. Barclay, who was appointed in early July following the massive walkout by Tory MPs that ousted Boris Johnson, said he had identified 53,000 staff in the health service 'the majority of whom do not provide direct care to patients".

Mr. Barclay also suggested that the goals should be streamlined (

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He said he had imposed a recruitment freeze on DHSC, which has a payroll of £260m, and demanded 20% cuts across the department, and others will follow in the years to come.

“Centre staff need to streamline the administrative burden on those on the front line and not risk adding to it,” he said. transparency."

Meanwhile, the Health Secretary said the number of targets the NHS would have to meet should be reduced - but gave no specific examples of which he intended to scrap.< /p>

"If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority," he said.

Mr. Barclay said he had been in discussions with the Treasury over NHS pay amid concerns over staff retention, but said any decision would be up to the next government after a new prime minister is appointed.