BMA Press Release: For immediate release, Tuesday 27 June 2017
Millions of patients affected by STPs as new health managers receive ‘eye watering’ salaries
As doctors debate the future of Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) at the BMA’s annual conference in Bournemouth this week, new BMA analysis finds:
The actual numbers are likely to be much higher, with only around half of the 44 STP footprints responding to the request and others unable to give detail of remuneration for some staff.
Some of the STP areas advertised jobs for agency staff or private consultants, with at least £1.1 million being spent on external firms. Just five areas accounted for more than £5.5 million of the spending:
These figures come alongside a new report[2] on STPs published today by the BMA, analysing all 44 STP plans. The report finds that:
The BMA has serious concerns with how STPs have been put together and the way that the overall process has been run. At the end of last year, the BMA asked for the plans to be published as soon as possible, with public and professional consultation on any proposed changes, for all plans to be realistic and evidenced based, for the plans to be funded appropriately to ensure they can deliver what has been promised and for patient care to be the priority for each and every plan, rather than cuts.
Six months on, the BMA does not think that these asks have been adequately met, with rushed timelines indicating that plans are being implemented without appropriate evidence, a lack of engagement with the public, patients and staff and without the necessary upfront funding to successfully carry out any real transformation.
Commenting, BMA council chair, Dr Mark Porter, said:
“Millions of patients will be affected by hospital and bed closures under these so-called ‘transformation plans’, which are a cover for delivering £26bn in cuts to health and social care. It makes no sense to spend this kind of money on staffing and structure when we already know there is a huge shortfall in capital funding needed to actually put the plans in place. Any money spent here runs the risk of being completely wasted.
“With the NHS at breaking point, doctors and patients will be horrified to see millions being spent on another layer of bureaucracy to deliver these controversial plans. The NHS needs more GPs, junior doctors and consultants - there is nothing sustainable or transformational about creating another costly team of managers while staff on the frontline struggle and patients suffer as a result.
“From its very beginning this process was carried out largely behind closed doors, by rushed health and social care leaders trying to develop impossible plans without the necessary funding.
“Some of these STPs seem to be ballooning into new health and social care structures with no mention in law and no proper governance – making a mockery of the top-down reorganisation forced on the NHS in 2012.
“This analysis casts serious doubt on these plans. Doctors and patients deserve a properly funded, transparent health service with patient care not cost cutting at its core.”
Millions of patients affected by STPs as new health managers receive ‘eye watering’ salaries
As doctors debate the future of Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) at the BMA’s annual conference in Bournemouth this week, new BMA analysis finds:
- £8.5m salary bill for new health managers delivering STPs
- £1.1m spent on private consultancy firms and agency staff
- Millions of patients could be affected by hospital and A&E closures and bed losses
- Vast differences in STP process across country
The actual numbers are likely to be much higher, with only around half of the 44 STP footprints responding to the request and others unable to give detail of remuneration for some staff.
Some of the STP areas advertised jobs for agency staff or private consultants, with at least £1.1 million being spent on external firms. Just five areas accounted for more than £5.5 million of the spending:
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough created 28 job roles at a cost of £893,000 annually
- Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and Luton created 12 jobs at a cost of £920,000
- North Central London created 19 job roles at a cost of £974,000
- Leicestershire and Rutland created 22 job roles at a cost of £673,000
- North East London created 37 job roles at a cost of £2.3 million
These figures come alongside a new report[2] on STPs published today by the BMA, analysing all 44 STP plans. The report finds that:
- 17.6 million patients could be affected by hospitals closing or merging (including both community and acute care);
- 22.9 million patients could be affected by A&Es closing or downgrading;
- 14.7 million patients could be affected by acute bed closures;
- 6.6 million patients could be affected by community bed closures.
- There has been a poor engagement with clinicians, patients and the public considering the scale of patients affected;
- Rushed timelines and the scale of the financial challenge mean that plans are being implemented without the appropriate evidence;
- The upfront funding needed for to deliver plans has not been provided;
- The scale of the cuts that need to be delivered by STPs will have a worrying effect on patients.
The BMA has serious concerns with how STPs have been put together and the way that the overall process has been run. At the end of last year, the BMA asked for the plans to be published as soon as possible, with public and professional consultation on any proposed changes, for all plans to be realistic and evidenced based, for the plans to be funded appropriately to ensure they can deliver what has been promised and for patient care to be the priority for each and every plan, rather than cuts.
Six months on, the BMA does not think that these asks have been adequately met, with rushed timelines indicating that plans are being implemented without appropriate evidence, a lack of engagement with the public, patients and staff and without the necessary upfront funding to successfully carry out any real transformation.
Commenting, BMA council chair, Dr Mark Porter, said:
“Millions of patients will be affected by hospital and bed closures under these so-called ‘transformation plans’, which are a cover for delivering £26bn in cuts to health and social care. It makes no sense to spend this kind of money on staffing and structure when we already know there is a huge shortfall in capital funding needed to actually put the plans in place. Any money spent here runs the risk of being completely wasted.
“With the NHS at breaking point, doctors and patients will be horrified to see millions being spent on another layer of bureaucracy to deliver these controversial plans. The NHS needs more GPs, junior doctors and consultants - there is nothing sustainable or transformational about creating another costly team of managers while staff on the frontline struggle and patients suffer as a result.
“From its very beginning this process was carried out largely behind closed doors, by rushed health and social care leaders trying to develop impossible plans without the necessary funding.
“Some of these STPs seem to be ballooning into new health and social care structures with no mention in law and no proper governance – making a mockery of the top-down reorganisation forced on the NHS in 2012.
“This analysis casts serious doubt on these plans. Doctors and patients deserve a properly funded, transparent health service with patient care not cost cutting at its core.”