The health secretary has announced that billions of pounds from NHS reform will be redirected back into patient care.
Reforms include ending duplication and reducing bureaucracy. 18,000 administrative posts will be removed, potentially saving more than £1 billion, which will be redirected in to patient care.
NHS leaders are also expected to cut 50 per cent of staff in ICBs.
The government has also confirmed it will deliver on the planned timetable of bringing NHS England back into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) within two years.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said: "The government is protecting investment in the NHS at the Budget, worth an extra £29 billion to the health service. I want to reassure taxpayers that every penny they are being asked to pay will be spent wisely.
"We have already cut waiting lists for the first year in 15 years, recruited 2,500 more GPs, and cut ambulance waits for patients with conditions like heart attacks and strokes. Our investment to offer more services at evenings and weekends, arm staff with modern technology, and improve staff retention is working. At the same time, cuts to wasteful spending on things like recruitment agencies saw productivity grow by 2.4% in the most recent figures – we are getting better bang for our buck.
"We’re now pushing down on the accelerator and slashing unnecessary bureaucracy, to reinvest the savings in frontline care. It won’t happen overnight, but with our investment and modernisation, we will rebuild our NHS so it is there for you when you need it once again."
Sir Jim Mackey, NHS England CEO said: "This is good news for NHS staff and patients – allowing our organisations to move forward and provide greater certainty about the future for all our staff and leaders.
"It will free up resources to invest in frontline services and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy that slows us down and gets in the way of the improving care.
"The NHS will continue to focus on the practical challenges ahead. We are pulling out all the stops to support the service through winter, making progress on elective and urgent and emergency care targets."
