[UK] 675 NHS managers earning in excess of £150,000 ahead of tax hike

Around 700 NHS managers are receiving salaries of more than £150,000 as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is poised to raise taxes to fund hospitals, Daily Mail reports.

Analysis by Daily Mail found that at least 675 officials at hospital trusts and Whitehall health bodies earned more than £150,000 last year.

On February 17 it was revealed that the new chief executive of NHS England, Amanda Pritchard, earns up to £260,000; £60,000 more than her predecessor.

The two highest-paid managers at NHS trusts received up to £310,000 in 2021, almost double the salary of the Prime Minister.

Analysis of NHS trust annual reports has found that the take-home pay of 549 managers was more than £150,000 in 2020/21; a 12 per cent increase on the 491 people earning at that level the previous year.

Around 71 trusts increased the number of staff earning in excess of £150k, while 39 cut the total of those in that pay bracket.

The Mail also reportedly learned that in September 2021 there were 126 staff at the Department of Health, NHS England and other health quangos earning more than £150,000; compared to 124 the previous year.

Ms Pritchard earns between £255,000 and £260,000. Her predecessor, Simon Stevens, earned up to £200,000. The Prime Minister earns just over £157,000.

Boris Johnson is preparing to increase national insurance by 1.25 percentage points in April in a £12billion health and social care levy intended to address the COVID-19 backlog in the NHS.

John O'Connell - chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance - said, “Working families facing looming tax hikes want to know they're getting value for money from the Health Service.

“No one begrudges paying doctors and nurses well, but taxpayers won't tolerate the health and social care levy being spent on such sky-high wage bills for NHS bosses. Ministers must get a grip on soaring public-sector pay packets before bringing in tax rises.”

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said,” It seems bizarre that we are paying these ludicrous salaries; more than the Secretary of State gets for running the health department.

“At the same time, we have ordinary people on lower incomes paying these higher national insurance charges to fund the NHS. It makes no sense.”

Matt Hancock earned £149,400 in 2020/21 as health secretary.

Excluding people whose pay included redundancy payments, one of the two highest-paid executives was Michael van der Watt, chief medical officer at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Dr van der Watt earned between £305,000 and £310,000 last year. The trust has been cautioned by the Care Quality Commission regulator that it 'requires improvement'.

Dame Jackie Daniel - chief executive at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - also received between £305,000 and £310,000, including a bonus of up to £15,000 and a payment of at least £30,000 for a 'local employer contribution recycle scheme'.

Third on the list is Bruno Holthof - chief executive of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - who gets up to £300,000.

Saffron Cordery - from NHS Providers, which represents trusts - said, “Trusts have budgets of up to £1.6billion and 16,000 staff – bigger than many FTSE 250 companies.

“Given the complexity and size of the services, budgets and workforces... these rates seem more than reasonable.”

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust said in a statement,  “Dr Michael van der Watt's remuneration comprises of three parts – his salary as a consultant cardiologist, his salary for his role as chief medical officer, and ten clinical excellence awards.

“Dr van der Watt has been at the forefront of clinical innovations at the trust.”

NHS England said, “The cost of NHS England and NHS Improvement executives' salaries has reduced by around 20 per cent since 2018 and the NHS is one of the most efficient health services in the world.”

Source: Daily Mail

(Quotes via original reporting)

Around 700 NHS managers are receiving salaries of more than £150,000 as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is poised to raise taxes to fund hospitals, Daily Mail reports.

Analysis by Daily Mail found that at least 675 officials at hospital trusts and Whitehall health bodies earned more than £150,000 last year.

On February 17 it was revealed that the new chief executive of NHS England, Amanda Pritchard, earns up to £260,000; £60,000 more than her predecessor.

The two highest-paid managers at NHS trusts received up to £310,000 in 2021, almost double the salary of the Prime Minister.

Analysis of NHS trust annual reports has found that the take-home pay of 549 managers was more than £150,000 in 2020/21; a 12 per cent increase on the 491 people earning at that level the previous year.

Around 71 trusts increased the number of staff earning in excess of £150k, while 39 cut the total of those in that pay bracket.

The Mail also reportedly learned that in September 2021 there were 126 staff at the Department of Health, NHS England and other health quangos earning more than £150,000; compared to 124 the previous year.

Ms Pritchard earns between £255,000 and £260,000. Her predecessor, Simon Stevens, earned up to £200,000. The Prime Minister earns just over £157,000.

Boris Johnson is preparing to increase national insurance by 1.25 percentage points in April in a £12billion health and social care levy intended to address the COVID-19 backlog in the NHS.

John O'Connell - chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance - said, “Working families facing looming tax hikes want to know they're getting value for money from the Health Service.

“No one begrudges paying doctors and nurses well, but taxpayers won't tolerate the health and social care levy being spent on such sky-high wage bills for NHS bosses. Ministers must get a grip on soaring public-sector pay packets before bringing in tax rises.”

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said,” It seems bizarre that we are paying these ludicrous salaries; more than the Secretary of State gets for running the health department.

“At the same time, we have ordinary people on lower incomes paying these higher national insurance charges to fund the NHS. It makes no sense.”

Matt Hancock earned £149,400 in 2020/21 as health secretary.

Excluding people whose pay included redundancy payments, one of the two highest-paid executives was Michael van der Watt, chief medical officer at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Dr van der Watt earned between £305,000 and £310,000 last year. The trust has been cautioned by the Care Quality Commission regulator that it 'requires improvement'.

Dame Jackie Daniel - chief executive at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - also received between £305,000 and £310,000, including a bonus of up to £15,000 and a payment of at least £30,000 for a 'local employer contribution recycle scheme'.

Third on the list is Bruno Holthof - chief executive of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - who gets up to £300,000.

Saffron Cordery - from NHS Providers, which represents trusts - said, “Trusts have budgets of up to £1.6billion and 16,000 staff – bigger than many FTSE 250 companies.

“Given the complexity and size of the services, budgets and workforces... these rates seem more than reasonable.”

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust said in a statement,  “Dr Michael van der Watt's remuneration comprises of three parts – his salary as a consultant cardiologist, his salary for his role as chief medical officer, and ten clinical excellence awards.

“Dr van der Watt has been at the forefront of clinical innovations at the trust.”

NHS England said, “The cost of NHS England and NHS Improvement executives' salaries has reduced by around 20 per cent since 2018 and the NHS is one of the most efficient health services in the world.”

Source: Daily Mail

(Quotes via original reporting)