The Department of Health and Social Care paid McKinsey nearly £600,000 for its work on a review into NHS technology services.
The consultancy firm bagged £588,000 for seven weeks work on a major review into digital transformation in the NHS, which was ordered by health secretary Matt Hancock in July.
Hancock called for a review into how NHSX, NHS Digital and NHS England and Improvement work together to drive digital transformation in the health service.
It is headed by Laura Wade-Gery, the newly appointed chair of NHS Digital, to determine the critical capabilities and digital operating model needed across the three national bodies to drive the digital system transformation envisaged in the NHS Long Term Plan.
But a recently published contract revealed the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) drafted consultancy firm McKinsey to work on the review.
The heavily redacted contract does not disclose details of the services required of McKinsey or the key people involved. A section titled “customer alternative pricing” is also redacted.
The Department of Health and Social Care recruited McKinsey through the Management Consultancy Services Framework, run by Crown Commercial Services.
The contract ran from 3 August until 22 September 2020.
It’s not the first time McKinsey has been paid a large sum to help determine the future of technology services within the NHS.
In August it was revealed the firm had scooped £563,400 to decide the “vision, purpose and narrative” of the NHS Test and Trace programme.
A six-week contract revealed McKinsey was hired in May to outline the “mission and vision” of NHS Test and Trace by the end of June.
This included the organisations data journeys, structure, and departments it would work with.
The contract was published shortly before health secretary Matt Hancock announced Public Health England would be scrapped and merged with Test and Trace to form the new National Institute for Health Protection.
Baroness Dido Harding, who began her career at McKinsey, has been appointed the interim executive chair of the new organisation.
29 October 2020 @ 18:51
Any chance of us patients seeing this report? I have probably done this job if you combine all my comments on NHS related articles.
29 October 2020 @ 14:12
This is quite a remarkable amount of money to spend in one direction. There are so many people that the ‘system’ could have turned to for help, recent leaders that have departed the system should/could have been asked to help here and in reality would probably have done this for free.
Why will McKinsey bring expertise here, yes they will bring some kudos to the recommendation but they do not have the expertise to do this. Already ex-leaders who made a huge difference during their time in the NHS, Will Smart, Richard Corbridge and Andy Kinnear have commented on Social Media that they have views that could help, at least they have the respect of the digital leaders of the system and have the battle scars to show what not to do.
Why not ask the Digital Academy to do this as their deliverable, why not ask CHIME to do this as an academic study, why not ask the readers of this here web site…
Why go and spend this amount of money.
Bring back Juliet Bauer to head up the review, ask Will Smart to direct it and get the opinions of those that are involved past and present. A much better result would be achieved that would be informed and would hold credence and respect of those that will then work in the system!
28 October 2020 @ 12:07
Is this for real???
What it is to have friends in high places when so many families face increased poverty and possible destitution. Try giving the money to the passionate/compassionate professionals in the Digital Health Network. They would improve the NHS infrastructure far more effectively and efficiently.
Ah, I forgot, privatisation is the driving factor as we see from a failed Test and Trace and rising Covid cases. A strategy aimed at possible accusations of the NHS not being prepared for second wave, yet omitting to cast an eye on the failure of the UK to face a Pandemic in 2019?
Despairingly…
13 November 2020 @ 13:56
digitally, the NHS is 18+ years behind, something has to be DOne to sort IT, the problem is of epic proportions, independence is NOW critical, NHS IT ? it needs help from outside, you can not ignore historic mess ups, honesty please !