Plans for NHS England and NHS Improvement to work together as one body with a joint structure have taken a step closer to fruition as proposals for the new operating model and regional structure have been circulated to senior managers.
The plans for NHSE and NHSI to work together as one team were announced in March this year. Seven regional teams will be introduced with a further 11 corporate teams with specific areas of responsibility.
Health Services Journal reports the plans will involve dozens of senior management roles being axed.
The new structure will also see greater integration with Public Health England. In a blog post, Chief Executive of Public Health England, Duncan Selbie explains: "We have been progressing our plans to work closer with NHS England and NHS Improvement which was the key recommendation from our international peer review in late 2017.
"Today [November 16] NHSE and NHSI are publishing their plans to create seven integrated regional management teams for England and each of these will have a PHE provided Director of Public Health. This will be a part-time role and additional to the work of Local Authority Directors of Public Health with their local NHS (Integrated Care Systems, Clinical Commissioning Groups and providers).
"We look forward to working with the new NHS regional directors also announced today. We are not changing our structure to make this happen and will remain as focused as ever on our support for local government and place based leadership.
"The future for health and care is integration between local statutory services focused on outcomes that matter to people and on prevention over cure recognising that the money we have has to be spent more wisely than hitherto. It is in everyone’s interest to have public health back on the leadership teams of the NHS encouraging and supporting this."
