Taxpayer fury as London Ambulance Service loses HUNDREDS of iPads given to staff
The London ambulance service has been slammed for "alarming" waste after losing hundreds of iPads purchased for staff
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The London ambulance service has been slammed for "alarming" waste after losing hundreds of iPads purchased for staff.
The service wrote off almost as many iPads as it purchased for staff in 2022/23.
Data analysed by the Taxpayers' Alliance for GB News showed that, since 2020 the LAS has spent a total of £3,315,475 was spent on 6,857 iPads.
This is an average of £483 per iPad, despite recent models of the iPad being available for under £350 at places like Currys and Amazon.
The London ambulance service bought 5,000 more iPads for its staff October 2021
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It is not known how many iPads were lost 2020/21, but in 2021/22, 70 iPads were lost in just a three month period.
Jonathan Eida, from the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said the London Ambulance service is "taking ‘use it or lose it’ to a new level".
He told GB News: "The disappearance of digital equipment is happening at an alarming rate and it’s taxpayers who are picking up the bill.
"Staff must take better care of expensive tech and remember who is paying for it."
The London ambulance service bought 5,000 more iPads for its staff October 2021, saying: "London Ambulance Service clinicians will benefit from nearly 5,000 eighth generation iPads as part of our commitment towards ensuring our clinicians have access to the latest technology to aid patient care."
In a statement, it added: "The rollout of electronic devices across our Service has helped our frontline crews feel better supported when making quick decisions for their patients, with information available at their fingertips: meaning each patient is getting the correct and most appropriate care.
"The iPads allow our ambulance crews to improve coordination with emergency departments so our partners in hospital can be better informed before patients arrive.
"The devices also offer access to clinical information to help our crews assess and determine the best treatment plan for their patients, which may include referral to another, more appropriate part of the NHS."
The NHS has faced repeated criticism for wasting money.
Last year, it emerged that the service had spent more than £330,000 on tattoo removal.
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The NHS has faced repeated criticism for wasting money
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More than 2,000 people were given free laser treatment at the taxpayers expense in the past four years.
Tattoo removal can be carried out on the NHS in order to "protect a person’s health" if their doctor believes it is causing them "significant distress or serious mental health problems".
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