Prime Minister Keir Starmer has revealed plans to dismantle NHS England, aiming to redirect funds towards frontline services and restore "democratic control" over the health service's management.

In a speech, he declared: "We're going to cut bureaucracy across the state. Focus government on the priorities of working people, shift money to the front line."

He continued: "I'm bringing management of the NHS back into democratic control by abolishing the arms length body - NHS England. That will put the NHS back at the heart of government where it belongs, freeing it to focus on patients, less bureaucracy, with more money for nurses. An NHS refocused on cutting waiting times at your hospital."

This announcement follows a recent wave of departures among senior NHS England figures, including its chief executive and medical director. Starmer highlighted that the organisation had led to significant "duplication" at a time when the NHS could ill afford such inefficiencies.

Addressing his audience, he explained: "Amongst the reasons we're abolishing it is because of the duplication. So if you can believe it, we've got a communications team in NHS England, we've got a communications team in the health department of government. We've got a strategy team in NHS England, a strategy team in the government department. We're duplicating things that could be done once. If we strip that out, which is what we're doing today, that then allows us to free up that money, to put it where it needs to be, which is the front line."

As part of the proposal, NHS England will be reintegrated into the Department of Health and Social Care.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting praised the decision, stating: “This is the final nail in the coffin of the disastrous 2012 reorganisation, which led to the longest waiting times, lowest patient satisfaction, and most expensive NHS in history."