NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spent over £12.8m over five years on rental vehicles

More than £12.8m has been spent by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on hired, rented or leased vehicles over the past five years.

An FOI submitted by councillor Paul Carey (BEM) shows that total expenditure on externally sourced vehicles has risen from £1.9m in 2020/21 to £2.6m in 2024/25.

A further £1.9m, £2.6m and £3.9m was spent in 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 respectively.

The FOI also shows how 74 vehicles were hired in 2020/21, 54 in 2021/22, 32 in 2022/23, 32 in 2023/24 and 39 in 2024/25.

Speaking about the findings, councillor Paul Carey (BEM) said: “I am amazed at the amount of money being spent on hiring these vehicles given the fact that the NHS are in crisis with waiting lists.

“Surely there must be a better way of spending money – do we really need to hire this many vehicles – some of which are very luxurious.”

According to the NHSGGC website, a patient transport service is available to those with a medical condition or mobility needs that require ambulance transport to help patients attend their healthcare appointments.

The service is also available to take people to and from pre-arranged hospital appointments and between hospital sites.

A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “Decisions on vehicle provision are made to ensure services are delivered effectively and efficiently, supporting safe and effective care for patients and a positive experience for patients, staff and visitors.

“The number of vehicles required is determined by the level and nature of services being delivered. In recent years, corporate transport has expanded its role to support a wider range of patient movement services, including transporting patients to, from and between hospital sites. This increased demand was particularly significant during and following the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Vehicle requirements and associated costs can vary from year to year due to changes in service provision, patient transport needs and specific projects requiring transport support.”