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A HUGE rise in civil service penpushers has become a burden on the NHS, a landmark review has reported.
Top surgeon Lord Ara Darzi found that since 2008 there has been a rise of 5,000 staff in health department quangos to 7,000.
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Meanwhile, the ratio of office staff in Whitehall and NHS England doubled from 53 at each local NHS trust in 2013 to 109 in 2022.
Lord Darzi slammed 2012’s reforms of health management.
Good NHS bosses were driven out and hiring sprees at the Department of Health left it top-heavy, he said.
Ex-Health Secretary Steve Barclay imposed a hiring freeze last year but numbers are up over the long term.
Lord Darzi said: “The number of staff in regulatory roles has gone from five per NHS provider to more than 35.
“Too many people holding people to account, and not doing the job, can be counterproductive.”
The report listed 18 bodies that control the NHS but do not treat patients, including regulator Nice, legal arm NHS Resolution and inspectors the Care Quality Commission.
Sir Julian Hartley, of NHS Providers, said: “NHS trust bosses know regulation is important but it must add value for patients and improve care.”
