A few weeks back I received an e-mail from the Corporate Affairs Department of the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust inviting me to join the Chair and others in celebrating 60 years of the NHS in Bradford. Now in times past I would have cheerfully sent my apologies and said nothing else. But this time I felt that this was a waste of money - certainly it would contribute nothing to improving health care or treatment for Bradfordians. Now as it happens the celebration in question was not put on at great expense but the response from the Trust Chair (£55,000 for a part-time job), former top copper David Richardson expressed surprise that I hadn't simply gone along with the planned jolly Indeed I had the gall to question its value and purpose!
Slightly irritated by this response I asked a few questions about the "Corporate Affairs" function at the Trust and about the remuneration of the Board (as a Foundation Trust there are in fact two boards - the expensive real one and a playtime Board of Governors for members of the foundation). The most significant fact is that all this bureaucracy costs the taxpayer over £2 million each year plus a Board of Directors costing nearly £800,000! It does seem to me that if the NHS is looking to make some savings, the operation and management of NHS Trusts - "corporate affairs" - might prove a fruitful area.
In Bradford simply reducing the number of non-executive directors from eight to four would save around £50,000 each year - cash that could go on paying nurses, providing treatments and contributing to the welfare of Bradford people. But here's a better idea - use councillors for the non-executives. Cheaper and, if we don't like the decisions there a democratic process for accountability - now that would be a radical step!
2 comments:
Want to tell us why the Tory Bradford Councilspends even more than £2m on Corporate Affairs? You seem to be avoiding the question.
Bradford Council's "Corporate Services" function includes: finance, human resources,legal services, the collection of council tax, administration of benefits and facilities management. All of these are other departments of Bradford Hospitals. Bradford Council doesn't have a "corporate affairs" function - I guess democractic services might cover that but that services and support 90 councillors, elections, managing a range of meetings, consultations and much else besides.
And no I wasn't avoid what was a pretty sillly question - I just wanted to check my facts before responding. Plus of course I'm quite happy to discuss reductions and savings in our corporate centre - is the NHS?
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