The Health Secretary has warned that "hundreds" more NHS health quangos could soon be axed after the Prime Minister announced the end of the "world's biggest quango" last week.
Wes Streeting has warned that there was "far more change to come" and that the abolition of NHS England was simply the start, insisting that there was "no time to waste".
Last week, Keir Starmer announced his plans to axe the 14,000-strong workforce in England and would bring its functions under the Government’s wing.
It is believed that the health department will save cash by making some 10,000 job cuts for those on frontline services.
The Health Secretary has warned that "hundreds" more NHS health quangos could soon be axed
PA
Writing for The Sunday Telegraph, Streeting said: "The abolition of NHS England – the world's largest quango – is the beginning, not the end.
"Patients and staff alike can see the inefficiency and waste in the health service.
"My team and I are going through budgets line by line, with a relentless focus on slashing bloated bureaucracy."
Admitting that "change is hard", he explained that "far more change was to come" and that there were "cautious voices warning us to slow down".
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He blamed the outgoing Tory Government, saying: "We inherited an NHS going through the worst crisis in its history."
He added: "There's no time to waste. Labour will never duck the hard work of reform. We will take on vested interests so that the NHS can be there for you when you need it, once again."
Earlier this month, the Health Secretary appointed Penny Dash to conduct a root and branch review of the system.
He has now announced that Dash has "identified hundreds of bodies cluttering the patient safety and regulatory landscape, leaving patients and staff alike lost in a labyrinth of paperwork and frustration".
Earlier this month, the Health Secretary appointed Penny Dash to conduct a root and branch review of NHS England
PA
It is expected that a total abolition of the branch will take approximately two years and will generate "hundreds of millions of pounds".
Nevertheless, No10 has refused to specify the number of jobs facing redundancy.
Earlier this year, Streeting said that he would not focus on reorganising the NHS, saying that he could spend "a hell of a lot of time” on restructuring without making “a single difference to the patient interest".
Instead, he said that he would opt to eliminate "waste and duplication".
