NHS Wirral spends over £2,400 on night at Wirral hotel for cancer chiefs

Aug 25 2010 by Liza Williams, Bromborough and Bebington News

But Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive of the Taxpayers Alliance, labelled the bill as “disgraceful” and said the spend would anger patients who had been refused cancer treatment on cost grounds.

He said: “This is a disgraceful waste of taxpayers’ money and a huge sum for just one meeting.

“Clearly this expenditure was unnecessary. The meeting could have been held at one of the PCT’s buildings or another location that’s away from the workplace.

“Cancer patients across the UK who have been denied treatment on the basis that it is too expensive will be rightly furious to hear of this profligacy.”

A spokeswoman for NHS Wirral, formerly known as Wirral PCT, added the Trust felt the spend was justified.

She said: “Cancer is a major cause of premature death in Merseyside and Cheshire.

“This programme is designed to educate the cancer leaders of the future, and as such we believe it to be an appropriate investment.”