Pritchard told The King's Fund's Annual Leadership and Workforce Summit: ‘I've said before that I do support the need for the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and other bits of the center to work better together, reducing duplication, getting stuff done more effectively, and giving local teams the space and the support that they need to deliver for patients, those are the right things to do. 

‘But I also acknowledge it's really important that it is government's decision, in this case, also parliament, to make decisions about how public services are structured. 

‘What is crucial, though, is that whatever comes next, it is done fairly and is done right, and that colleagues are given certainty on their futures as quickly as possible, and that at the end of the process, the center, whatever shape it is, then makes a really coherent and valuable contribution to what we all hope will be a better, stronger NHS, one With the needs of patients still firmly at its heart.'

Up to 30,000 people could lose their jobs as a result of the abolition of NHSE combined with a 50% cost-cutting programme at ICBs. 

Pritchard told the conference that in coming weeks frontline staff and experts from across the NHS and beyond, including patients, will be brought together to help develop a training programme for clinical and operational leaders at bands six to eight and for equivalent heads of service. The goal will be to equip those leadership teams with the technical aspects of delivery, the skills to make the change happen in practice.

She said: ‘By doing so, we'll provide them with the theory and the practical know-how to work with multidisciplinary teams and colleagues to achieve operational excellence, with a focus on improving care and productivity, helping us to reduce the unwarranted variation that we all know exists, but also to adapt and adopt best practice in a way that works best for them where they are.'

The training will be available free to 22,000 colleagues over the next 18 months, and trusts, ICBs and other partners will be asked to identify those who should take part within their organisation.