Infamous ‘Marbella Man’ consultant had already worked with Betsi Cadwaladr chief exec at another health board, FOI reveals

A Senedd Member has dubbed the NHS a “merry-go-round of jobs filled by the same people” after it emerged a former Betsi Cadwaladr chief executive worked with an expensive consultant at another health board.

Phillip Burns was dubbed “Marbella Man” after working from his Costa del Sol home while advising Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which is in special measures, on how to save cash.

It emerged the board planned to pay him £360,990 for a nine month contract as Interim Recovery Director but he ended up earning just £353,450, plus expenses of £16,888, after his contract was terminated in April.

Gary Doherty, who was chief executive when Mr Burns was engaged by Betsi Cadwaladr, left on a paid secondment to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in February this year – in a deal reportedly costing the North Wales health board at least £188,000.

Now it has emerged Mr Doherty was chief executive at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust when Mr Burns was engaged between February 2014 and December 2015.

An FOI to the trust revealed Mr Burns was also allowed to work from home for one day a week there, with four days at their offices in the town.

The board refused to reveal how much he earned as Cost Improvement Director during that contract, despite it being paid from the public purse.

Mr Doherty worked as chief executive at the Blackpool Trust between April 2013 and February 2016, before joining Betsi Cadwaladr.

There is no suggestion Mr Doherty or Mr Burns acted improperly but it caused Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru’s North Wales MS, to question why the same people keep appearing at different health boards.

He said: “At the very top level of the NHS, there seems to be a merry-go-round of jobs that are filled by the same people.

“Once again, we see Phillip Burns, a highly paid management consultant, being brought in to work in a Blackpool health trust and allowed to work remotely as a Cost Improvement Director.

“He was employed there while Gary Doherty was the chief executive.

“When Mr Doherty moved to Betsi Cadwaladr health board, he brought in Mr Burns on £40,000 a month.

“It’s not clear what was achieved during his nine months at Betsi but it’s cost the NHS dearly.

“Now Mr Doherty has moved on to pastures new and I hope we have seen the last of this ‘old boys network’ that is doing nothing to improve our NHS or helping its over-stretched frontline workers.”

The FOI reply revealed: “Blackpool Teaching Hospitals contracted with a third party company (Hunter Healthcare) to fill the role as a CIP Director which Phillip Burns filled, his daily rate would need to be obtained from the Consultancy Company.”

However it did confirm, when asked if he was allowed to work from Spain: “Phillip Burns was employed as CIP Director to work from Blackpool Teaching Hospitals’ offices four days per week and one day per week remotely.”

According to Hunter Healthcare’s website it had a team in a programme management office within Betsi Cadwaladr, plus a “turnaround director”.

It said: “The function comprised a team of six interim managers skilled in driving efficiencies in complex and challenging environments to support the delivery of financial improvement across the health board.”

In the last financial year, Betsi Cadwaladr reduced its deficit by around £1.3m to £40m.

Mr Burns had a second stint in Blackpool between July 2017 and June 2019, after which he was engaged by Betsi Cadwaladr UHB, whose chief executive was Mr Doherty.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has remained tight-lipped about Mr Doherty’s new role there as “director of integration”.

It has so far refused to disclose his salary, how much it is contributing towards what Wales is paying him, or when his tenure started.

The Trust informed the LDRS it would need to lodge a Freedom of Information Request to obtain the answers – even including his job description.

By Jez Hemming – Local Democracy Reporter