Wes Streeting pledges to retain digital workforce amid NHS reforms

Wes Streeting, health secretary, has confirmed the government’s commitment to retaining the digital workforce amid the abolition of NHS England.

Speaking at the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee on 8 April 2025, Streeting said that the “right skills” were essential to drive digital transformation and breakthroughs in life sciences.

The health secretary was questioned by MPs on the government’s plan to abolish NHSE and merge it with the Department of Health and Social Care, which was announced on 13 March 2025.

Josh Fenton-Glynn, Labour MP for Calder Valley, raised the issue of the NHS workforce, saying that he was concerned that “skills around NHS digital” might be lost.

“Could you give me some assurance that the skills, particularly that digital infrastructure piece (which really needs a lot of change but we need some skilled workers to do that), will remain?” Fenton-Glynn asked.

Streeting responded: “We are still in the foothills of one of the most exciting revolutions taking place in the world, which is the revolution in life sciences and medical technology, as the prime minister announced this week, with the establishment of the Health Data Research Service.

“And we want the UK not just to be benefiting from that revolution but actively driving it.

“We have a competitive edge in this country which is in danger of being lost.”

He added: “We will only achieve it if we’ve got the right policy direction, but also the right team and skills to deliver it, and whether it is on the security and integrity of the NHS digital systems, the rollout of new digital capabilities and our ability to marry the best scientific minds in this country and around the world with our national health service, we will need more of this capability.

“We will need people with the best skills and so that function of NHSE, which is driving that digital transformation breakthroughs in life sciences and technology as well as big productivity improvements and gains in the NHS, remains extremely important and will be part of the new department.

“Those skills, that functionality, we absolutely don’t want to lose.”

Fears have been that the abolition of NHSE could lead to delays to digital funding and national IT programmes, as well as an uncertain future for NHS digital teams.

Fenton-Glynn also said that delays to the planned rebuild of the Health Innovation Village in Leeds were “causing anxiety” and asked Streeting for assurance that the NHS is “a good place to invest for life sciences”.

Streeting responded that there are opportunities to leverage more partnerships with the life sciences and MedTech sectors, and “look at what we can do together to invest in and build that really strong health and science footprint in Leeds”.

He added that the delay to the Health Innovation Village was “another reference in the context of the New Hospital Programme.”

The government announced in January 2025 that some New Hospital Programme projects would not be delivered by 2030 as planned.