Mike Gill
BBC Radio 4’s recent series Magic Consultants didn’t pull its punches. Management consultants were portrayed as overpriced illusionists, revealing savings that were “always there” while obscuring their methods in jargon. The focus on a certain large global consultancy’s scandals painted a damning picture of an industry extracting hefty fees while offering questionable value.
The criticism isn’t entirely unfair. Too many NHS organisations have experienced the familiar ritual: consultants parachute in, produce glossy PowerPoints filled with corporate speak (“synergistic optimisation,” anyone?), pocket substantial fees, and vanish, leaving overstretched teams to implement recommendations disconnected from frontline reality.
But here’s what the series missed: not all consultancy operates this way. At Scale work differently. We understand that NHS and local government clients can’t afford “12-week drop and leave” projects. Every pound spent on consultancy could go to frontline services. That reality focuses the mind rather wonderfully.
We’re honest about what we bring. Rather than claiming wizardry (no rabbits, no top hats), we acknowledge that our value comes from seeing patterns across organisations, translating policy into delivery, and providing capacity to stretched teams. There’s no magic, just hard-won system knowledge and hands-on support. Considerably less mystical, but rather more useful.
We speak your language. Public services don’t need “low-hanging fruit” or “phygital transformation.” They need clear pathways, deliverable plans and honest assessments of what’s achievable with current resources. We provide practical recommendations grounded in operational reality, not theoretical frameworks that look impressive in airport business books.
We share what we learn. Unlike the large commercial firms critiqued in the series, our model means knowledge stays embedded in the organisations we support. We build capability, not dependency. Our success is measured by what clients can do after we leave, not how long we can extend the engagement. Radical, we know.
We understand accountability. Working with public services means understanding that every recommendation faces scrutiny from regulators, politicians and the public. We help you prove value, navigate that scrutiny, and build business cases that secure funding. It’s accountability all the way down, and we’re fine with that.
The Magic Consultants series asked the right question: do consultants genuinely add value, or simply reveal what clients already possessed? For stretched NHS teams, the answer is straightforward. Sometimes you need someone who’s seen the problem solved elsewhere, who can provide analytical horsepower when your team is running at 110%, and who understands that transformation in public services isn’t about shareholder returns, it’s about better outcomes for communities.
That’s not magic. That’s partnership.
