NHS leaders in London have paid private firms £2.3m to draw up regional plans designed to transform health and social care in the area.
Health leaders in charge of drafting the ‘sustainability and transformation plans’ (STPs) to cut £1.2bn from the health budget in North Central London told Pulse eight private companies were paid six figures to provide ‘administrative support’, ‘financial modelling’ and ‘communications support’.
The private companies include accounting firm Deloitte, which was given £257,336 for ‘finance and activity modelling’, and management consultants McKinsey – paid £360,000 for ‘strategy assessment’ and ‘financial modelling’.
Dr Farah Jameel, chair of Camden LMC, said the figures where ‘shocking, disgusting, appalling and ultimately not surprising’.
She said: ‘The Government should be held accountable for allowing this inappropriate use of funds and be encouraged to focus attention on addressing the very real challenges affecting those who work in and rely on the NHS.
Dr Mark Porter, BMA council chair, said this was ‘yet another example of vital resource being frittered away’.
He added that ‘doctors will find it galling to see that so much vital resource has been handed to consultancy firms for their part in failing plans which, ultimately, may never come to fruition’.
A spokesperson for the North Central London STP region said: ‘The NCL STP utilised a number of consultants in the early development of the STP and this expertise was required to ensure our draft plan was evidence based, realistic and achievable.’
