Labour Plans Major Shake-Up of Civil Service and NHS Workforce

The government aims to cut costs, improve efficiency, and redirect resources to frontline services through workforce reductions and performance reforms.

Labour plans to reduce the size of the civil service, which has grown to over 513,000 employees since 2016, by implementing voluntary redundancies and tougher performance standards.
Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden emphasized the need for a more modern and efficient state, promising to incentivize high performers and remove underperforming staff.
The proposed reforms include linking senior officials' pay to outcomes, increasing digital roles, and streamlining processes in both Whitehall and the NHS.
NHS England's new chief executive, Sir James Mackey, is exploring a national voluntary redundancy scheme to address inefficiencies and improve productivity across healthcare providers.
The government also plans to cut £5 billion from the welfare budget and address rising costs in disability benefits as part of broader efforts to balance public finances.