The government has lost millions of pounds in using private consultants to give advice to primary care trusts. The idea was aimed to save the NHS money but in fact it has cost the health service over £21 million. The figures have been released this week through Department of Health documents and just prove that the Government’s Framework for Procuring External Support for Commissioners (FESC) initiative has not achieved its goal to make efficient savings. Health publication ‘Pulse’ found that spending on private consultants had tripled over the past two years since it was launched, costing a total of £39.4 million but only bringing in £17.5 million worth of savings. This is money that could have been spent in another department of the NHS for example on buying new equipment. Dr Jonathan Fielden, chair of the BMA’s consultants committee told Pulse, “This is hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money yet to be shown to have benefited patient care.” Despite this, the Department of Health still insists that 'tangible benefits' are being given.


Many people who turn to private medical insurance as an alternative to the NHS say that they do so because of the better access to high quality and brand new technologies available in private health care centres. The NHS is limited in providing access to these new innovative technologies because of its budget and government schemes like this one to encourage the use of private consultants where targets often get in the way. Private health insurance policies allow patients to use these top of the range facilities where they are not restricted by a budget in the same way. Being treated by the latest healthcare equipment and medicines could reduce recovery time and get patients back to full health in the shortest period possible which is inevitably a priority for most people when they undergo an operation or fall ill.