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Evening Standard article re local hospitals 24 March 2015

A&E's  GPs SPENT £13M ON CONSULTANTSOfficials leading a controversial GP-led shake-up of emergency and maternity care in West London spent £13.4million on consultants in 9 months, it was revealed today.The Shaping A healthier Future plan saw the closure of A&E's at Central Middlesex and Hammersmith Hospitals last September. Ealing Hospital's maternity department is due to close this year, and A&E's at Ealing and Charing Cross will be downgraded within years.A Freedom of Information request found that between April and December last year the GPs in charge of the reorganisaion awarded 22  contracts to firms including McKinsey, PwC, PA Consulting anf M&C Saatchi.Health campaigner Dr Louise Irvine said: "These figures cover only 9 months of the 3 years and more that the SAHF project has been running. Where is the value for money audit on work done by these consulatants to show what has been achieved for these millions?"A Shaping A Healthier Future spokeswoman said: "We are undertaking large scale improvements for our two million residents, including increasing access to primary care, joining up health and social care, improviung hospitals; and enhancing mental health services.To deliver these we often need a wide renge of specialist experience for a short period of time, which is what these external consultants provide."@RossLydallRoss Lydall Health EditorWell, it's only money, eh folks???

Jean F Fernandez ● 3685d1 Comments

Jean, most large corporations including the best run ones in the private sector make extensive use of consultants. Used properly they will save money because it is often cheaper to hire expertise rather than permanently employee it.A few years ago consultants were brought in on a project at the firm where I work from one of the firms you mention. There was initially a lot of hostility because the perception was that they were coming in to tell us how to do our jobs. In the event that is exactly what they did but, as most of their proposals were clearly a step forward, people were eventually sorry to see them leave.For a massive organisation like the NHS £13 million is actually quite a small proportion of the budget and could , if anything, be said to be an underspend.That said, I don't see why M&C Saatchi are on that list - not sure why the NHS needs to bring in consultants for PR/advertising. If it was to promote the positive benefits of the reorganisation of the NHS they have been a complete waste of money. The process was clinician led and probably a good attempt to provide the best possible service with a squeezed budget but the perception is that an axe has been taken to services.

Paul Corcoran ● 3684d