Top earners at Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust revealed

An investigation by the Mail and the Taxpayers’ Alliance has unearthed the earnings of the most highly paid employees around the country.

According to figures from 2013 to 2014, Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Worthing Hospital and St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, was revealed to be paying 168 members of staff more than £100,000 a year.

The Mail has also reported five employees at the trust were paid more than £200k, and one member of staff took home a salary of more than £300k.

However, the trust said it does not employ anyone on a salary over £300k.

The figures – obtained using Freedom of Information requests – show the top earner at the trust, a medical and dental expert, took home £319,006 between 2013 and 2014. However, the trust did not disclose the names of the employees to the Mail.

The second highest paid employee at the trust was the only person out of the top five to work in administrative and clerical services.

The findings showed 37 people at the trust earned more than £150k – all taking home more than prime minister David Cameron who earns £142,500 a year.

In the UK, 20 NHS hospital trust employees earned more than £300,000 and 36,000 people took home a salary of more than £100k. The highest earner was Patricia Hart, chief executive of South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who earned £1,260,000 in 2013-2014.

According to the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s 2014-2015 annual report, Marianne Griffiths, chief executive, earned a salary of between £195,000 and £200,000, with a performance-related bonus of up to £20,000.

Dr George Findlay, medical director, was paid a salary of between £155,000 and £162,000 but his total remuneration for the year, including bonuses was £290,000.

The investigation revealed 50,000 employees of NHS organisations and General Practitioners received total remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2013-14.

Figures from health regulator Monitor in May 2015, show foundation trusts in the UK racked up a deficit of £349m, while other trusts were £473m in the red. NHS Trusts in England have reported a total deficit of £822m in 2014-15, compared with £115m the previous year.

Denise Farmer, director of organisational development and leadership, said: “The Trust does not employ anyone with a salary in excess of £300,000. The payments being singled out here were made to senior clinicians under a specific

initiative in 2013 to reduce waiting times during a period of unprecedented demand on services and were all determined in accordance with NHS arrangements.

“We have delivered a financial surplus in each of the last five years while maintaining our status as a high-performing trust providing high-quality care.

“That is all thanks to staff across our hospitals working tirelessly to care for patients.  We are exceptionally proud of all of them and pay the appropriate levels of remuneration to attract experienced and effective people, who can help us maintain and improve these standards of care.”

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