NHS chiefs came under fire today for spending £2.2 million consulting on proposed changes to hospital services in south-west London but getting just over 800 responses.
Critics said a total of £40 million to £50 million of taxpayers’ money had been blown in two decades without improving healthcare in the area.
But backers of efforts to build a new hospital said the consultation, Improving Healthcare Together 2020-2030, had been “highly useful” in securing provisional government backing for a new £500 million hospital for Epsom and St Helier NHS trust.
MPs were due to debate this afternoon the future of St Helier Hospital in Carshalton and St George’s Hospital in Tooting. Both are in need of being rebuilt, but the favourite option is to build a new hospital, with A&E and maternity units, alongside the Royal Marsden cancer hospital in Sutton.
Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, discovered that £2,209,900 was spent last year on Improving Healthcare Together, which is run by Surrey Downs, Sutton and Merton clinical commissioning groups. A total of 837 people took part in the public engagement, working out at £2,640 per contribution.
Ms McDonagh claimed the “flawed” process had excluded the views of many constituents. “We are shocked at how much money they have spent on engagement,” she said. “There are often more NHS staff at these events than there are members of the public.
“It has been a field day for consultants. At a time when the NHS is so strapped for cash, it’s extraordinary they seem to have carte blanche to employ so many consultants.”
She added: “If there is going to be a new hospital, I would like to see it on the St Helier site because it would serve a more deprived community.
“Also, only a hospital there would protect St George’s from being overwhelmed.” A spokeswoman for Improving Healthcare Together said: “The NHS has a legal responsibility to fully engage local people and gather evidence from experts when considering changes to services and this involves bringing in expert and independent advice where needed.
“We believe the work we have done will help us secure up to £500 million … We want to build a major new acute facility while still keeping the majority of services on both the St Helier and Epsom sites.”
