Nicola Grant, Workers Party Representative for Newry and Armagh, comments on alleged cronysim in the health service

Nicola Grant commenting on a headline in the media this morning that £7.5m is being spent on paying consultants for leadership advice has not just been recently discovered… said: “the Workers Party has raised this issue several times in the past.

“We have highlighted the fact that the majority of these consultants are former senior managers in the health and social care service and have left or retired on very significant pensions.”

She added that “the Workers Party is totally opposed to this whole concept of engaging former managers because not only is it viewed by health service staff who cannot get their pay increases because of the lack of funding as cronyism and a continuation of poor management practices that has marred and undermined the core principles of the NHS.”

Ms Grant said training for staff is essential but there should not be a monopoly on who carries that training forward.

The Workers Party had previously called for an audit of the courses by subject, relevance, priority, staff attendance, and grades of staff plus frequency. “We have also demanded the numbers of former employees of the health service who are employed as consultants.

“None of this information has been made public or it seems any action has been taken to stop this practice.

“This practice is outrageous… I have been receiving reports of staff retiring on full pensions and a month or so later returning to work through the bank system, and it is clearly creating resentment.

“If staff are needed they should be recruited giving an opportunity to those within and outside the system looking for employment.

“It is time for the new Health Minister to stamp out the old system of cronyism and stop any practices that cut across fair employment rights and opportunities for those who are seeking sustainable employment”, added Nicola Grant.