The Department of Health has spent a record £626M of taxpayers’ money on management consultants

The Department of Health spent a record £626 million on external management consultants last year, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The department’s latest reports show that NHS bosses continue to splash the money on advisers, despite academic evidence suggesting they make things less efficient over time.

Including NHS England and NHS Providers, the department’s bill of £626m for management consultants in 2021/22 was £123m higher than the previous year.

The figures come after it was revealed that ministers have been quietly dropping restrictions on spending controls.

The department tried to justify the increased spend by saying, “The increase in consultancy spending relates to specific Covid-19 workflows and the New Hospital program that required specialist support not available within the department.”

Occupational health spokesman Wes Streeting said: ‘Taxpayers are paying hundreds of millions of pounds to consultants, but the promised 40 new hospitals are nowhere to be seen and patients are waiting longer than ever for care.

What does the government get for these huge sums? Advice on what to do with the £15bn worth of useless personal protective equipment it bought?

“Under the Conservatives we pay more but get less.

Labor will reform the NHS to get value for taxpayers’ money and ensure that every penny spent on health care is spent wisely.’

Whitehall’s spending limits, introduced under David Cameron in 2011, which limited outside contracts to £600,000, were scrapped by government officials this week, according to the Guardian.

The Cabinet Office website says spending controls on “consultancy and professional services” are no longer a requirement.

A recent study by the Universities of Bristol, York and Seville of NHS Trusts using management consultants found that they did not improve things, but actually became less efficient over time.

Ian Kirkpatrick, from York University, said that while the research didn’t show that consultants ‘can’t provide value’, it ‘suggested they don’t add much value overall’.

Yet in many cases the government appears to be maintaining or increasing its spending on outside consultants.

John O’Connell, CEO of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘Taxpayers will be wondering what on earth the NHS is getting from this spending.

Occupational health spokesman Wes Streeting said: ‘Taxpayers are shelling out hundreds of millions of pounds on consultants, but the promised 40 new hospitals are nowhere to be seen and patients are waiting longer than ever for care’

While advisors may have expertise worth sharing, taxpayers have yet to see real improvements.

“Health chiefs should review these expenses to make sure they are real value for money.”

A department spokesperson said: “The department utilizes off-payroll, temp and consulting staff where appropriate and prudent.”