Picker responds to the announcement that NHS England will be abolished

Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement that NHS England will be abolished, Chris Graham, Picker chief executive, said:

“Yesterday will have been a difficult day for staff at NHS England, as the Government announced its intention to close the organisation and return responsibility for running the NHS in England to the Department of Health and Social Care.

NHS England has been an important partner to Picker – not least in our work around the NHS Staff Survey and the Cancer Patient Experience Surveys. The organisation has a central role in understanding, measuring, and improving patient and staff experiences for the health service in England, and it is vital that these functions are maintained to support person centred care for all.  We look forward to working with teams across NHS England and the Department as the transition process gets underway under the leadership of Sir Jim Mackey.

While this period will have its challenges and may lead to uncertainty in the short term, it is essential that the change is ultimately a success and that its benefits are felt by patients, the public, and staff on the NHS front line. This transition must also succeed to ensure the successful delivery of both the upcoming ten-year plan for health and the future outcomes from Baroness Casey’s commission into social care. The associated reductions in ICB funding also heralds a period of turbulence for staff. Local system leaders should continue to prioritise improvements in patient experience during this time of change when waiting times remain high.”