NHS bosses advised to ditch 1st-class travel and take the bus

NHS chief executive Simon Stevens has informed colleagues to ‘think like a patient and act like a taxpayer’. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

NHS chiefs have been banned from investing taxpayers’ cash on initial-class rail fares and ordered to get the bus or tube as an alternative of hopping in a cab.

The information came soon after figures showed nine well being bosses spent almost £200,000 last 12 months on meals, travel and hotels.

The new NHS England chief executive, Simon Stevens, has told colleagues to “think like a patient and act like a taxpayer”.

He has banned cost claims for initial-class fares and told colleagues that they should constantly consider to take public transport as an alternative of taking taxis.

The figures, obtained by The Daily Telegraph, showed that 9 individuals on the board of NHS England invested £195,802 amongst them on transport, meals and hotels in the course of 2013-14.

The newspaper identified that during the organisation’s initial yr, former NHS boss Sir David Nicholson claimed £32,000, including £6,700 on taxis. Tim Kelsey, nationwide director for patients and data, spent £46,000, the newspaper reported. Former nationwide director for policy Bill McCarthy claimed virtually £500 for a single night in a hotel in Berkshire, it added.

The investing has been referred to as an “absolute disgrace” by a patients’ group. Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients’ Association, informed the Telegraph: “It is an absolute disgrace when individuals are waiting longer for care, when frontline workers are so overloaded, and when there are this kind of difficulties in some parts of the service, to see this scale of extra at the best of the organisation. It genuinely beggars belief.”

An NHS England spokeswoman said: “In his very first deal with to personnel ,Simon Stevens set the aim of ‘thinking like a patient, and acting like a taxpayer’. He knows how important this is to the individuals and the public.

“He would like the highest standards of transparency, governance and behaviour.

“He has already banned very first-class travel and manufactured clear public transport ought to constantly be taken in which possible.”

On Thursday, the new NHS chief, who took a shell out minimize when he started out the position, will handle the NHS England board on troubles of transparency. He will inform officials that as well as publishing costs, they will also be necessary to routinely publish meetings with other organisations.

NHS bosses advised to ditch 1st-class travel and take the bus