NHS Executives Awarded Substantial Pay Increases During Service Restructuring
Senior executives at two of Scotland's most scrutinised health boards have received significant salary uplifts, sparking widespread criticism from healthcare unions and political opponents. Bosses at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian have been awarded pay increases worth up to £20,000 annually as compensation for their additional responsibilities in managing a major reorganisation of Scotland's health service.
Restructuring Project Behind the Pay Awards
The substantial pay rises form part of a broader initiative examining how Scotland's fourteen regional health boards can collaborate more effectively in future years. This project aims to address persistent challenges within the healthcare system, including lengthy waiting times and treatment delays that have plagued services across the country.
Scottish ministers have emphasised that the geographical boundaries and fundamental accountabilities of individual health boards will remain unchanged. However, the restructuring has established new west and east subnational planning and delivery committees (SPDCs) designed to enhance coordination between different health authorities.
Executive Responsibilities and Compensation Details
The chief executives and chairpersons of both NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been tasked with establishing these new planning committees. As recognition for this additional workload, they have received ten per cent salary increases alongside allocated time away from their standard duties to focus on the restructuring project.
Professor Caroline Hiscox, Chief Executive of NHS Lothian, and Professor Jann Gardner, Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, both earn annual salaries ranging between £195,000 and £200,000 according to their respective board accounts. The chairpersons of both boards receive between £50,000 and £60,000 annually.
Mounting Criticism from Healthcare Professionals
The timing of these executive pay awards has drawn particular scrutiny, as both health boards face ongoing challenges. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde continues to address concerns raised during the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, while NHS Lothian received criticism last year after inspectors identified a 'culture of mistrust' within Edinburgh's maternity unit.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP expressed strong disapproval, stating: 'Scots will be appalled that bosses at two under-fire health boards are being given a bumper pay rise. This money should have gone to frontline doctors and nurses who are working flat out for their patients, not bureaucrats.'
Union Concerns Over Frontline Staff Treatment
Colin Poolman, executive director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland, highlighted the disparity between executive compensation and frontline working conditions. 'Just last month we reported that many of our members are working over their contracted hours every week without being paid for this extra work,' he noted.
'To hear that senior executives are apparently being paid more to dedicate less time to resolving local challenges will only demoralise frontline staff further, particularly given the lack of clarity around the role of these subnational planning and delivery committees.'
Project Duration and Government Response
The executives are expected to maintain these additional responsibilities for approximately nine to twelve months while longer-term structural requirements undergo comprehensive review. The exact time commitment required for these new roles remains unspecified, adding to concerns about transparency surrounding the restructuring initiative.
A Scottish Government spokesperson indicated that officials 'are currently reviewing this matter and we will provide further details in due course.' Both health boards confirmed the salary increases comply with NHS Scotland guidance that provides additional remuneration for staff undertaking temporary responsibilities beyond their usual health board duties.
