SLASHER PM Sir Keir Starmer stepped up his cuts programme today with the abolition of NHS England, part of what he billed a restructuring of the state.

The Prime Minister’s move was denounced as “shambolic and ill thought-out” as thousands of workers risked losing their jobs.

NHS England, a statutory authority managing the health service across most of the country, is to have its functions merged into the health ministry headed by Wes Streeting.

Sir Keir, speaking at the Hull campus of pharmaceutical firm Reckitt Benckiser, he said: “I don’t see why decisions about £200 billion of taxpayer money on something as fundamental to our security as the NHS should be taken by an arm’s length body, NHS England.

“And I can’t, in all honesty, explain to the British people why they should spend their money on two layers of bureaucracy.

“That money could and should be spent on nurses, doctors, operations, GP appointments.

“So I’m bringing management of the NHS back into democratic control by abolishing NHS England.

“That will put the NHS back at the heart of government where it belongs, free it to focus on patients — less bureaucracy with more money for nurses.”

The move forms part of a broader attack on regulation, benefits and state functions being sprung on the public.

The Prime Minister said: “In such uncertain times, people want a state that will take care of the big questions, not a bigger state that asks more from them.

“We need to be operating at maximum efficiency and strength. I believe in the power of the state. I’m not interested in ideological arguments about whether it should be bigger or smaller. I simply want it to work.”

His speech brandished artificial intelligence and digitalisation as panaceas and was loaded with anecdotes concerning apparently absurd and obstructive regulations holding business back.

Trade unions were unimpressed. Unison general secretary Christine McAnea said: “This announcement will have left NHS England staff reeling.

“Just days ago they learned their numbers were to be slashed by half, now they discover their employer will cease to exist.

“The way the news of the axing has been handled is nothing short of shambolic. It could surely have been managed in a more sympathetic way. 

“Thousands of expert staff will be left wondering what their future holds. Wherever possible, their valuable skills must be redeployed and used to the benefit of the reformed NHS and patients.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called the announcement “an ill-thought-out strategy that could end up meaning front-line healthcare staff struggle to do their jobs effectively if they aren’t paid on time, don’t have basic medical supplies or are forced to do additional administrative work rather than treat patients.”

Fran Heathcote, leader of Civil Service union PCS, said: “Technology has a part to play in improving public services and enhancing our members’ job satisfaction, but we are also clear that it cannot be used as a blunt instrument to cut jobs. 

“Better public services and better front-line delivery will require human beings making empathetic decisions, not automatons incapable of understanding people’s needs.”

In the Commons, Mr Streeting talked up the savings to be made, which would amount to hundreds of millions a year.

He claimed: “That money will flow down to the front line to cut waiting times faster and deliver our Plan for Change by slashing through the layers of red tape and ending the infantilisation of front-line NHS leaders.”

He told MPs that there are presently 15,300 staff at NHS England and 3,300 in the Department of Health and Social Care, numbers looking to be cut by at least half.

His “boldness” was commended by Tory former health secretary and chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

But leading think tank the Health Foundation warned: “History tells us that rejigging NHS organisations is hugely distracting and rarely delivers the benefits politicians expect.

“Scrapping NHS England completely will cause disruption and divert time and energy of senior leaders at a time when attention should be focused on improving care for patients.”