Staffordshire NHS trusts spent over £4 million on management consultants

A local newspaper investigation has found that NHS North Staffordshire has spent £2.2 million on management consultants over the period 2009-2010.

This spending has been questioned by local union representatives, with Geoff Wilson, of the North Staffordshire community health branch of Unison, telling The Sentinel newspaper: “Surely there is enough ability and expertise within the PCTs' own staff to do most of this work.”

A spokesman for NHS North Staffordshire told The Sentinel: “At times we need external, expert advice, but this is not a continual requirement.”

The same investigation that NHS Stoke-on-Trent had spent even more during the same period, channeling £2.4 million into management consultancies.

A spokesman for NHS Stoke-on-Trent told The Sentinel: “Part of the previous investment was to make improvements to the whole health economy's urgent care system.

“Costings also relate to property management consultancy, as our trust has no in-house estate team and in the last three years £40 million worth of primary care development has been completed.”

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