NHS England Redundancies 2025: Up To 18,000 Admin Posts
Last updated: 1 September 2026
The UK government announced in March 2025 that it would abolish NHS England, the body that runs the NHS in England, with its functions absorbed into the Department of Health and Social Care.
What has been publicly announced
The UK government announced on 13 March 2025 that it would abolish NHS England; it was reported that around half of NHS England's roughly 14,400 staff and half the Department of Health and Social Care's roughly 3,500 staff, around 9,000 posts in total, were expected to go, alongside a further 12,500 reported roles at Integrated Care Boards, which were asked to cut their workforce by 50%. These were the initial March 2025 estimates; the Department of Health and Social Care later gave a combined figure of around 18,000 administrative posts across DHSC, NHS England and ICBs (November 2025).
Source: Nuffield Trust, 20 March 2025.
UNISON said the cuts would fall on administrative and management posts at NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care and Integrated Care Boards, warning that rushed cuts risked losing skills the NHS would continue to need, and that consultation was running through the Partnership Forum involving recognised unions including GMB and UNISON.
Source: UNISON, 13 March 2025.
In November 2025 it was reported that the Department of Health and Social Care had reached a deal with HM Treasury to fund the redundancy programme, worth up to around £1bn, giving the go-ahead for around 18,000 administrative posts across DHSC, NHS England and Integrated Care Boards to be cut.
Source: Personnel Today, 12 November 2025.
This page reports only what has been publicly announced, with a source and date against every claim. It does not suggest NHS England has acted unlawfully, and nothing here should be read as a comment on the merits of any individual case.
Who is affected and what this means for you
Roles: Reported cuts fall on administrative and management posts at NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care and Integrated Care Boards, not frontline clinical staff.
Sites and locations: Integrated Care Boards across England were asked to cut running costs by 50%, with NHS England's own functions absorbed into the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the same reform.
Consultation and union involvement: Consultation was reported to run through the Partnership Forum, involving recognised unions including GMB and UNISON; UNISON criticised the process and warned that rushed cuts risked losing skills the NHS would continue to need.
If you work in an NHS England, DHSC or ICB administrative role, redundancy terms are usually set by the NHS Agenda for Change redundancy scheme rather than negotiated individually. If you are offered a settlement agreement instead of the standard NHS process, check it does not offer less than your contractual NHS redundancy entitlement.
Personally affected by NHS England?
Where are you in the process?
Choose the closest option. We will take you to the relevant questions, with no obligation to proceed.
Your rights in a redundancy at NHS England
NHS England's situation does not change the statutory rules that apply to any UK redundancy: our redundancy consultation guide covers collective consultation and protective awards, and redundancy vs settlement agreement covers how a settlement agreement interacts with a redundancy exit, including the independent legal advice you are entitled to have your employer pay for.
What you are entitled to regardless of what NHS England offers
Whatever NHS England ultimately offers, if you have at least 2 years' continuous service with NHS England you are entitled by law to statutory redundancy pay (a week's pay per full year of service, more for older employees, less for younger ones, capped at £751 a week and 20 years' service for 2026/27, a maximum of £22,530), your notice period or pay in lieu, accrued but untaken holiday pay, and a genuine consultation process, regardless of anything NHS England negotiates on top.
The most recent public reporting on this NHS England programme is dated 12 November 2025; nothing since has changed the statutory floor above, which you can work out for your own age, service and pay with our redundancy pay calculator (see also being made redundant: what happens next).
NHS employers may also enhance this through the NHS Agenda for Change (Section 16) redundancy scheme, on top of the statutory floor above. Figures under that scheme are correct to our knowledge but not yet independently verified; use our NHS Agenda for Change (Section 16) redundancy calculator for an indicative figure.
What to check before signing
Before you sign anything, work out what you are owed regardless of any negotiation, and what is genuinely on the table. These guides cover the detail:
Sources
- Nuffield Trust, 20 March 2025.
- UNISON, 13 March 2025.
- Personnel Today, 12 November 2025.
Disclaimer
This page provides general information about a publicly reported workforce situation. It is not legal, tax or benefits advice, and your position depends on your own facts. We are not connected to NHS England; its name is used only to identify the publicly reported situation. Sources and dates are given for every factual claim above. For advice on your own circumstances, speak to a qualified adviser. Law as at 1 September 2026.