Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 14
14
We challenged the Department and NHST&T on the value for money and their scrutiny of...
Conclusion
We challenged the Department and NHST&T on the value for money and their scrutiny of these consultancy contracts and associated spend. On day rates, the Department felt it had mitigations in place, including specifying within contracts that services are to be obtained from staff at an appropriate grade, rather than directors and partners by default. It also noted that some consultancies had dropped their normal public sector rates for COVID-19 work.48 The Department felt it had mitigated the risk of profiteering through its approvals and contract management processes, and the way it structured its contracts, e.g. by not committing to fixed levels of volume. It also told us it had “beefed up” NHST&T’s commercial function.49 The Department said that it was as confident as it could be, based on monitoring information, that there was no profiteering, and that it did not have, and had not had, any “red flags” on contractors or contracts linked to NHST&T.50 42 Qq 58–59 43 https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020–10–14/103454 44 Select Committee on Science and Technology, Oral evidence: UK science, research and technology capability and influence in global disease outbreaks, HC 136, Wednesday 3 February 2021, Qq 1928, 1931 45 Q 47–48 46 Qq 33–35; Department of Health & Social Care, point 3 47 Qq 32, 47; Department of Health & Social Care, point 3 48 Qq 33, 36 49 Q 49; C&AG’s Report para 1.35 50 Qq 50–52 14 COVID-19: Test, track and trace (part 1) 2 Learning lessons for the future Rollout of rapid testing
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 3.2 Consultants offer quick access to expertise that may otherwise be difficult to recruit – either quickly or indeed at all. They will always have a place but need to be used selectively. NHST&T has therefore established a consultancy ramp-down plan, based on current demand assumptions, which aims to reduce the number of consultants by over 40% between March 2021 and December 2021. 3.3 NHST&T continues to reduce consultancy headcount through the following mechanisms: • capability mapping and staff development; • increasing recruitment – NHST&T has launched a careers microsite and as of March 2021 had over 154 campaigns live; • replacing consultancy resources with cheaper contract resources while long-term recruitment continues; • a Commercial Challenge Board to provide increased scrutiny when consultancy resource is requested and ensure there is clear evidence that there is no alternative and that rates are appropriate to the work being delivered; • regular challenge sessions with each business area; and • including short term termination clauses in contracts to ensure maximum flexibility and to support the roll-off of consultants. 3.4 NHST&T is currently working across government and with Public Health England (PHE) to understand the most effective ways to attract and secure clinical capability. It is also reaching out to NHS networks to understand better and learn from their supply routes and where NHST&T can improve.