Coming on top of the resignation of the NHSE leadership and major job cuts, the move appears to have been a recent decision and indicates a Government with an evolving approach to healthcare policy which does give some concern whether they have really thought out where all this will end. 

The swingeing nature of the cuts at the NHS and ICBs, which could lead up to 30,000 job losses, and the way they were announced without warning have garnered unflattering comparisons with Elon Musk's chainsaw approach to Government and are bound to take a further toll on the morale of an already beleaguered workforce. 

While the Government extolled the virtues of slashing bureaucracy, duplication and costs, empathy with the human toll of mass redundancies was sadly lacking. 

While the cuts have been estimated to save £500m, this pales against the £7bn deficit forecast by NHS trusts in the next financial year. 

In addition, with NHSE and DHSC developing seismic reforms this spring, the potential disruption caused by radical reorganisation leaves major concerns over the wisdom of the timing. 

Furthermore, ICBs facing 50% cuts have warned this will be seriously detrimental to their ability to improve services. 

While seeking to look decisive by slashing bureaucracy, the Government runs the risk of overreaching itself and hobbling its ability to deliver its ambitious reform agenda.