Leeds Green Party is deeply concerned about the potential impact of the UK Government’s decision to abolish NHS England (NHSE) on jobs in Leeds, particularly for the thousands of staff based at Wellington Place and Quarry House. With NHSE headquarters located in our city, this decision poses significant risks not only to employment but also to the wider Leeds economy, which has long been a centre for national health administration.
We call on the Government to provide immediate assurances about how the welfare of NHSE staff will be protected and what measures will be put in place to mitigate the economic consequences of this decision for Leeds. The uncertainty surrounding job security and future organisational structures is already causing anxiety among employees, and a clear plan must be set out to prevent large-scale redundancies and economic disruption.
Furthermore, we seek urgent clarification on how the new arrangements will be structured to ensure they remain free from political interference and insulated from creeping privatisation. The independence of NHS administration is crucial to safeguarding public health services from short-term political agendas and market-driven reforms that put profit before patient care. The Government must commit to full transparency and robust public accountability in any new governance model that replaces NHSE.
This decision also raises serious concerns about the future of NHS strategic leadership. We must ensure that any new administrative structure does not weaken national oversight, undermine public health priorities, or further fragment an already overstretched health service.
Leeds has played a key role in shaping and managing our health service at a national level, and we cannot allow this decision to result in job losses, economic damage, or an acceleration of NHS privatisation by stealth. We urge our local MPs and councillors to stand up for Leeds, demand answers from the Government, and fight for a future in which our NHS remains publicly funded, publicly owned, and publicly accountable.
ENDS
For further information, get in touch with us at contact@leeds.greenparty.org.uk.