And just remembered
I worked for a company who supply equipment to the NHS - flow cytometers and blood culture machines were the dept I worked in. We had a call one day from a hospital trying to get a reduction in the increase in our service charge for the machine they had. I looked through the paperwork, and they'd got a 75% discount on the machine when they bought it, so we said no. Every day for a week she called, trying to get a 1% reduction in the increase. When I went and looked at the renewal cost, their increase of 3% amounted to £60 - yes, she was being paid to call me and ask for a £20 discount. The thought hadn't seemed to occur to the managers that paying someone to try and talk suppliers into meagre discounts was pretty stupid - they were probably paying her more than they were saving. *That* is what's wrong with the health service, in my humble opinion....
(vinny, Wed 17 Mar 2010, 15:56, 2 replies)

Public sector
can find spectacular ways to waste public money. I used to work as a recruitment consultant supplying staff to the NHS - the cowboys I used to work for charged more than £30 quid an hour for a cleaner whilst paying the cleaner minimum wage. The difference was pocketed by the recruitment company. I did that job for a month before I packed it in - messed with my morals, that did. Leeching off the public purse so some twat in the city with a shit haircut and a cronic coke habit could buy a new fucking porsh off the back of the hard work of some underpaid agency worker...

Made me wonder though - why the fuck were the NHS willing to pay extortionate rates for staff? Surely they shouldv'e just told this ex firm of mine to fuck off? Christ knows I would've.
( SpankyHanky, Wed 17 Mar 2010, 16:10, closed)

Because someone was on the take.
Firms that land these contracts generally have a few civil servants or MPs on the payroll in one way or another.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Wed 17 Mar 2010, 17:55, closed)