Record number of NHS staff are dismissed after Wes Streeting introduces ‘zero tolerance’ policy on poor performances

A record number of NHS staff have been made redundant due to Wes Streeting’s new ‘zero tolerance’ policy for incompetence.

NHS data shows there will be around 7,000 redundancies in 2024-25; that number nearly doubled two years ago, with nearly 4,000 jobs cut.

This is a record figure since 2011, when the figures were first collected.

More than half of these NHS staff were made redundant on ‘skill’ grounds.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned NHS managers they will be sacked if they fail to perform in the league tables, which were first published in the autumn.

He promised to implement a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for poor performance and said there would be ‘no reward for failure’ in November 2024.

Gareth Lyon, head of health and social care at think tank Policy Exchange, said: Telegram: ‘People who can’t or won’t do their job should be fired.

While the super flu outbreak has battered hospitals, the NHS has had a tough year with junior doctors striking earlier this month

‘The NHS needs to significantly improve its performance and this can only be achieved through a tougher approach to performance management – including dismissing people who are not fit for the job.’

According to NHS data, 1.8 per cent of staff leaving NHS jobs in 2024-25 were made redundant.

This is higher than the 1.2 percent rate a decade ago.

The average cost of replacing a member of NHS staff is around £6,500 per person, according to FOI requests from every NHS Trust analyzed by the not-for-profit organization Skills for Health.

Jon Freegard, director of consultancy and research at Skills for Health, said the sharp increase in redundancies was ‘regrettable’ but he remained committed to the new policy and said it would reflect the elimination of months or even years of poor performance.

He believes more needs to be done to tackle underachievement and that some employees can thrive with the right support.

Mr Freegard added: ‘No one would argue against sacking those who are not fit for the job, but there is an additional factor to consider here: Why does it cost so much to replace underperformers?’

Former health secretary Steve Barclay said: ‘There is a deeply ingrained culture within the NHS where complaints are seen as problems rather than opportunities for improvement, coupled with a reluctance to hold individuals accountable for failures.

Job cuts described as ‘regrettable’ but bosses stick by

‘This is particularly evident in the revolving door of managers who fail within one organization and are eventually transferred elsewhere in the NHS, and clinicians who can continue to work and put patients at risk long after the warning signs have become clear.’

However, compared to private sector redundancy rates, these redundancies in the NHS are quite low.

Given that 1.5 million staff in total work for the NHS, the 7,000 redundancies account for less than 0.5 per cent of employees laid off in 2024-25.

According to the Telegraph, this figure is well below the estimated average figure across the private sector, which is between 2 and 3 percent.

The NHS has had a tough year, with junior doctors going on strike earlier this month as the super flu epidemic battered hospitals.

Strikers were warned that it meant some patients would have to stay in hospital over Christmas because there were not enough staff to discharge them safely, but the strikes continued anyway.

Responding to the redundancy figures, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘Performance management is crucial in the NHS, where we work to raise standards and make sure patients get the care they deserve. As we work hard to fix our NHS, early intervention and appropriate support for staff will prevent performance problems from arising.

‘After years of damage, our 10-year health plan ensures staff have access to the training and resources they need to succeed in their roles and deliver exceptional care.’