your right mike700, i work in accounts and i have done 2 temp contracts in the nhs one with east midlands ambulance service and one with derby pct.the east midland ambulance service was formed from 3 existing county services and i was brought in as a management accountant to help with the amalgamation and produce costings for the savings and future expenditure and the waste was unreal. i was brought in despite them still having all the accounts staff on the books from the county services but they were on gardening leave as they were taking redundancy in due course. so there were 8 accounts staff still being paid to do nowt until they started their redundancy leave etc. technically they should have moved up to nottingham for 6 months until they were made redundant but they were given the option to stay where they were on full pay and in the meantime i was employed at £20 an hour. i did several cost analysis presentations showing waste and where savings could be made including getting rid of me lol. but the unions got involved and it disapeared into a mire of meetings and committees, yet no permanent staff were to lose their jobs just agency and temp staff and 4 fulltime posts created. so why would the unions object you would think. go figure.
that was some time ago but i bet its not improved.