The planned cuts were confirmed by NHSE chief financial officer and deputy chief executive, Julian Kelly, during evidence to the Public Accounts Committee yesterday.

Kelly, who is stepping down at the end of March, said he expected the detail of the plans to be published as the 10-Year Health Plan is finalised and said NHS redundancies would not be just about ‘duplication' with the DHSC but ‘will have to be a hard look at what functions are being done where'.

Responding Taylor said: ‘We understand the precarious state of the public finances and our members are prepared to do what is required. The short-term task is to stabilise NHS finances and do everything possible to reduce the NHS' deficit, and our members will work with the Government and NHS England to do that. But the reality is that these cuts will require major changes and they will inevitably make the task of delivering long-term transformation of the NHS much harder. 

‘The 10 Year Health Plan will set out the Government's future ambitions for the NHS, and the danger is that we go too far and leave little to no capacity to deliver this long-term transformation. Where possible we must find ways to support the long-term shifts that the Government itself, alongside our members, are committed to making.'