£18m wasted trying to SAVE cash

HEALTH bosses drawing up plans to close hospitals to save the NHS cash are splashing out millions on management consultants.

At least £17.7million – equivalent to 530 nurses’ annual salaries – has been paid out to firms including KPMG and PwC since last January, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show.

The Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) were launched last year and aim to cut costs by ‘reorganising’ services. They are expected to lead to the closure of dozens of A&Es, maternity units and smaller hospitals in England.

Dr Mark Porter, of the British Medical Association, said it was ‘outrageous’ so much was being spent on STPs when the NHS was at ‘breaking point’ financially. But NHS England said using outside help ‘occasionally makes sense’.