£28m spent by NHS bosses on management consultants

The figures emerged as hospitals in the county plan to slash hundreds of staff and millions of pounds from budgets.

Campaigners have described the spending as “obscene” and called for it to be slashed – and eventually scrapped altogether.

They say the cash should be spent on hospital beds, life-saving drugs and other treatments instead.

But health chiefs claim management consultants can be cheaper than employing in-house experts on projects for cutting waiting times, identifying savings and management training.