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???
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