Mayor Dave Slams Waste and Spiralling Costs of Review Threatening Hospital Services
Mayor Dave Hodgson has slammed the spiralling cost of the Bedfordshire Health Services Review, which has placed the future of key services at Bedford Hospital under threat, following news that it has reached at least £4.5 million,up from £3.2 million as had previously been announced.
The review, which is now due to conclude in 'October - December', has also confirmed that expensive travel analysis work carried out by management consultants McKinsey is being re-done altogether.
Commenting, Mayor Dave Hodgson said: "This review has placed the future of Bedford Hospital as we know it under threat entirely unnecessarily. News that its costs have risen sharply adds insult to the harm it has caused in threatening vital services at our local hospital, in spite their good quality and the growing local population the hospiutal serves.'
"The fact that work carried out by consultants paid £3.2 million is having to be re-done is frankly scandalous. It sillustrates the wasteful nature of this entire process, which at every stage has appeared intent on delivering a major downgrade, in spite of the needs of patients and the wider community."