13th March 2025

Responding to the Government's announcement that it plans to abolish NHS England, Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, said:

"Patients care about getting high-quality treatment when they need it, not about which organisation is in charge of the NHS. The real test of these reforms will be whether they lead to shorter waiting times, better access to services, and improved care outcomes for people across England.

"While we welcome the stated intention to put 'patients first' and reduce bureaucracy, patients have heard similar promises during previous NHS reorganisations, and any period of organisational change risks distracting from immediate patient care challenges. The Government must ensure this transition delivers tangible improvements and doesn't divert attention from urgent priorities like reducing waiting times and improving access to primary care.

"The promise of greater autonomy for local health systems should benefit patients if it truly allows services to be tailored to community needs. But this must be balanced with maintaining consistent national standards and equitable care across the country.

"From a patient perspective, the success of any NHS reform should be judged not by its administrative structure but by measurable improvements in care quality, access to services, and health outcomes. Patients are less concerned with organisational charts than with whether they can get the right treatment, at the right time, delivered by well-supported healthcare professionals.

"With the devolved nations maintaining their existing NHS structures, these reforms must ensure seamless cross-border care arrangements remain in place for patients who receive treatment across UK national boundaries.

"Most critically, these changes must maintain, and ideally strengthen, the mechanisms that protect patient safety and quality of care. Clear lines of responsibility for quality monitoring, incident reporting, and implementing safety improvements must be established. We cannot afford any gaps in oversight during this transition that might compromise the quality and safety standards that patients rightfully expect.

"The previously announced three key shifts for the NHS – from analogue to digital, from sickness to prevention, and from hospital to community care – align with what patients have been calling for over many years. However, structural reorganisation alone won't deliver these changes; they require sustained investment, proper implementation, and genuine partnership with patients and communities.

"We recognise the expertise that Sir Jim Mackey and Dr Penny Dash bring to NHS England's leadership during this transition. However, financial discipline must not come at the expense of patient care and safety.

"Patients need reassurance that clinical decisions will remain independent and based on evidence rather than political expediency, even as the NHS comes under more direct ministerial control.

"We urge the government to involve patient representatives meaningfully throughout this transition. The true measure of success for these reforms will not be organisational efficiencies alone, but whether patients experience better care, shorter waits, and improved outcomes.

"The Patients Association will be closely monitoring the impact of these changes on those who matter most – the patients who rely on the NHS every day."