Responding to newspaper articles on the use of management consulting by the NHS, Alan Leaman, CEO of the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), said today:
“The interventions of expert management consulting firms in recent years mean that many NHS institutions have cut their costs, responded effectively to rising demand and introduced changes that both improve patient care and the use of valuable resources. Consultancies have also assisted the change to new structures and political priorities.
Engaging this outside support when it is needed is a sign of good sense. One recent consulting project delivered recurrent annual savings of over £50m. The NHS should draw on the best available skills, insights and knowledge in order to do its job most effectively.”
The NHS is one of the most complex and, certainly, the largest organisations in the developed world. It is not surprising that it needs and wants to access outside help as it develops and changes to meet new challenges.