A SCANDAL-HIT hospital must “come clean” over its decision to re-hire a medical director a month after he started claiming his £1.9million pension.

Christchurch MP Chris Chope has hit out at Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust after it was revealed Basil Fozard, who first joined the trust in 1992, was taken back into the purely bureaucratic role with a £20,000 salary increase.

Mr Fozard’s annual salary was £130,000 in addition to £85,000 for surgical work before his retirement on May 31. He was reinstated on July 1 in just the medical director role on £152,000 per annum.

The Department of Health has branded the decision “completely unacceptable” and yesterday, after the trust refused to answer questions on the matter, Mr Chope demanded clarity.

“He has taken advantage of the situation created by the trust,” he said. “They chose to re-employ him – and we want to know on what terms. It is the trust that needs to come clean with the local people.

“The chief executive and the directors must have been involved in this appointment and in deciding the terms and the pay package and the timing of it. Did Mr Fozard ever have any intention of retiring?

“To try and pin the blame on Fozard is not right – he is the wrong target. It is the trust that has offered him the job at this extraordinary rate of pay.”

And Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns described the situation as “totally wrong” and said the system has been “incentivising” similar behaviour in all areas of the public sector.

“I warmly welcome the intervention of Jeremy Hunt on this," he said. “What was the benefit to the taxpayer? What was the benefit to the patient? It is absolutely astounding – the idea you can have your pension, generously paid for by the taxpayer, in addition to this type of high salary just seems extraordinary.”

Yesterday the hospital remained silent on the matter despite a backlash which has seen both Mr Fozard and chief executive Tony Spotswood come in for fierce criticism on social media.

The Daily Echo understands Mr Spotswood is on holiday and will not be returning to work until August 18.

The hospital refused to answer questions about whether the role had been advertised and who had made the decision to rehire Mr Fozard.

An Echo reporter and photographer were escorted from the hospital’s premises when they attempted to speak to someone in the management department.

A trust spokesperson said: “We are unable to provide any interviews at this time, only the information in our original statement.”

Patients react to Mr Fozard's re-appointment 

A “JOBS for the boys” culture is letting down hardworking doctors and nurses, according to Royal Bournemouth Hospital patients. 

The Daily Echo spoke to patients leaving the trust site yesterday to ask for their reaction to Mr Fozard’s re-appointment. 

Bournemouth resident June Leyland said the hospital’s hardworking clinicians are being let down by the behaviour of management. 

She said: “I think he should step down and the people who allowed this have questions that need answering. It’s a shame because the doctors and nurses are brilliant.”

Recent outpatient Chris Johnson, 36, said: “Everyone is saying the NHS is cash strapped but then you hear about these fat cats taking huge pensions and salaries. It feels like jobs for the boys and that everyone up top is looking after each other.”

Kevin Carter, of Southbourne, said: “If he’s retired from the position then it shouldn’t be available to him. He should at least be on the salary he was on before. 

“It seems all the cuts come from the bottom end. At the top end they can just do what they like. It seems to be a sort of open cheque book for the ones at the top. Those actually needing to use the services are given what’s left.”

Marjorie Price said: “That money should be used to actually help patients – it should be spent on nurses, doctors and maybe even improving the parking here. Once you are retired you should stay retired.”

Denis Rosser said: “The job should have been made available to someone who is looking for the job rather than the person who’s just retired from it. 

“It seems crazy. It is public funds and it is just a huge waste.”