UK’s NICE hits back at claims it spent taxpayer money on champagne

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has refuted claims by one of the UK’s most popular newspapers that it spent £3,346 ($5,516) at Searcy’s, a chain of champagne bars in London.

In a front page story on Saturday, the Daily Mail claimed that NICE “racked up £115,000 on taxpayer-funded credit cards in the past two and a half years, including £5,000 on luxury hotels. Other splurges include £3,800 on camcorders, £620 on furniture and garden ware and £3,346 at Searcy’s, a chain of champagne bars in London.” NICE has denied the claims, insisting that Searcy’s also manages conference facilities, and the money was spent on room hire at the Royal College of GPs and the Commonwealth Club, where NICE has held meetings of its advisory committees.