Outrage as health chiefs blow £53m on business consultants

Media and 'conflict' experts among winners

- BY HANNAH RODGER Political Editor

SCOTTISH NHS boards have spent a shocking £53million on private management consultants in the last five years, the Sunday Mail can reveal.

Labour has accused the SNP government of allowing the health service to “haemorrhage” money on external firms, while cash strapped frontline services struggle to cope.

The spending includes more than £200,000 paid by NHS Highland for “conflict management resolution” experts, and £23,000 by the State Hospital Board for “media strategy advice”.

Public Health Scotland, the national health improvement and protection body, spent £97,000 on change manage ment and business service consultants from auditing firm KPMG.

It comes as soaring long waits at A&E departments are estimated to have contributed to more than 1000 needless deaths.

Meanwhile, we revealed in July how patients waiting more than 78 weeks for treatment in Scotland have rocketed to 38,070, while in England the figure has halved to just 1154.

Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour deputy leader, said the SNP had to “get a grip” on the spending.

She said: "While outside expertise will always be needed, these figures show that at a time when our hospitals and surgeries are under pressure, health boards are still haemorrhaging cash. The SNP must get a grip on health boards' spending and ensure that where money does go to external consultants it can be clearly justified."