(MENAFN) Thousands of employees within England’s National Health Service are expected to lose their positions as the government proceeds with its plan to dismantle NHS England and place it under direct ministerial control, according to reports.

In a staff meeting held on Tuesday, NHS England confirmed that voluntary redundancy programs will move forward across both the central organization and regional Integrated Care Boards starting next year.

According to internal presentation slides cited by reports, NHS England indicated that staffing levels will face a “50% reduction.” The plan emphasizes voluntary departures, with job cuts scheduled to begin in March.

The government had earlier announced its intention to dissolve NHS England and merge its operations with the Department of Health and Social Care. The agency, which currently employs more than 15,000 people, was originally established in 2013 under then–Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to give the health system more operational independence.

When outlining the proposal to eliminate the body, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that an “arms-length” organization should not be responsible for managing the NHS’s £150 billion ($197 billion) annual budget. He added that the move aims to enable the government to provide more effective healthcare services.

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