Islington News: Hypocrisy | Pay Increase | Raise | Rise | Mental Health | Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust | 60% | Salary

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

Islington Tribune - by SIMON WROE
Published: 19 September 2008

Health chiefs’ pay soars as cuts bite

60% rises spark ‘hypocrisy’ claims

MENTAL health bosses have been accused of “hypocrisy” after they awarded themselves “inflation-busting” pay rises while cutting services by more than £8 million.
Governors of Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust voted for a “massive” 60 per cent salary hike for non-executive directors (NEDs) at a quarterly board meeting at St Pancras Hospital last Thursday.
The rise will put trust chairman Professor David Taylor on £37,000 a year for his part-time role – up from £22,500. It makes him better paid than John Carrier, chairman of Camden Primary Care Trust (PCT). Similar rises will be given to other non-executive top brass.
The decision comes in the wake of the closure of Tottenham Mews day centre in Fitzrovia and bed reductions on wards as part of the trust’s controversial “cost improvement programme” which has axed millions from the services budget.
Service users on the board of governors – whose work remains unpaid – said the proposal was another example of corporate rewards overtaking patient needs.
Service user David Hayes said: “It’s perfectly reasonable to expect the chair and its NEDs to be commensurately rewarded but what I find a matter of hypocrisy is the level of inflation-busting rewards proposed. It stands against the backdrop of the cost improvement programme in which service users have had to suffer.”
Ross Specterman, another service user, added: “It does seem hypocritical. On the one hand services are being cut and closed – we are told there is a need to make cuts. Service users would say: ‘How can they justify it?’ ”
Governor Jason Roberts said: “We will be mass rewarding non-executives to a backdrop of massive service cuts. I don’t think that looks good.”
Mr Roberts also warned that the increases would result in salary rises across the board.
Trust bosses defended the move, saying the complexity of the posts were incomparable and that better salaries would mean better services in the long run.
George Allan, an Islington governor and councillor, said: “Motivation isn’t only about money, it’s about the job. But the better the calibre of person we can recruit the better decisions will be made.”
Directors also came under fire over their proposed selection process for a new chairman. They wanted to push forward “a shortlist of one”, to be vacated in February next year, but were shouted down by board members.
Governor Susanne Lamido said: “We have no choice. There has to be more transparency.”

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: