Streeting’s new delivery unit ‘to hold NHSE to account’
The government is hiring a director for a new delivery unit which is being set up by Wes Streeting “to hold NHS England and other partners to account” on performance.
The director of the secretary of state’s Delivery Unit, which will be part of the Department for Health and Social Care, will be co-located with Wes Streeting’s private office.
An advert for the job said the unit will bring “a laser-like focus” on delivering the reform across the system, but with a specific focus on elective waiting times, urgent and emergency care performance, and GP access.
The role is advertised with a salary of £120,000 – a similar level to that received by the department’s chief scientific adviser and HR director last year.
The job advert added: “The unit will act as a mechanism through which the secretary of state can hold NHS England and other partners to account for delivering on priorities. [It] will be small, agile, and high performing, and made up of internal and external recruits.”
The role will also involve “tracking and challenging delivery of the secretary of state’s priorities, [and] investigating and intervening proactively to solve delivery challenges, enabling ministers to understand progress on priorities, issues, and risks affecting delivery and how to address them”.
The unit will also be tasked with “bringing the department and its arm’s length bodies (particularly NHSE) together” and building departmental capability to help deliver the 10-Year Health Plan.
The new unit’s announcement comes as ministers this week revealed they plan to “radically reshape how NHSE and DHSC work together”, a move linked to the departure of NHSE CEO Amanda Pritchard. They have not yet revealed details of the restructure, but senior sources said Mr Streeting wants an NHS CEO who is effectively part of the department.
Ms Pritchard announced her departure yesterday, with Newcastle Hospitals Foundation Trust Sir Jim Mackey appointed interim CEO.
NHSE said Ms Pritchard had been discussing her departure with Mr Streeting in recent months, but his plans for the restructure and change to NHSE’s role appear to have caused the CEO to accelerate it.
The new delivery unit’s aims appear to echo the role played by Tony Blair’s delivery unit during the early noughties. Mr Blair’s unit, led by Professor Michael Barber, had a key role in holding the NHS to account on the four-hour accident and emergency wait target and other key performance targets at the time. Several other prime ministers since have sought to recreate delivery units in 10 Downing Street, with limited success.