9:30am Friday 30th July 2010
By Jim Durkin
ANGRY nurses, who are braced for sweeping frontline cuts, have hit out at the “ludicrous” salary paid to Dorset County Hospital’s temporary boss.
Derek Smith, who was brought in as interim chief executive in a bid to save Dorset County Hospital £20 million, was paid £248,041 for just 97 days work. This equates to £2,557 a day – more than a nurse earns in a month.
Staff nurse Sandra Miller – who works on an acute surgical ward at the hospital – is furious nurses are being axed or facing reduced hours as part of cost-cutting measures.
She said: “We’re working our socks off on the Abbotsbury Ward and our sister ward Lulworth, where staffing numbers are going to be cut.
“I’ve been told categorically that the decision has been made and it is going to be brought in this September.”
She said staff were “incensed” by the revelations.
Mr Smith worked three or four days a week from September 1, 2009 until March 31 this year. His expenses – covering such costs as travel, food and subsistence – stood at an extra £19,539 for the same period.
• Interim chief executive Derek Smith, pictured: £248,041 – £2,557 a day; 97 days work; £19,539 expenses
• Interim director of finance Terry Tonks: £222,106 – £1,194 a day; 158 days work; £16,755 expenses
• Interim director of human resources Tracey Peters: £115,491 – £663 a day; 174 days work; £4,040 expenses
• Interim turnaround director James Shillito: £110,712 – £1,230 a day; 90 days work; £8,802 expenses
The figures were revealed in the newly published Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s annual report and accounts for 2009 to 2010.
It also showed that the cost for interim director of finance, Terry Tonks, was £222,106 – working out at £1,194 a day for 158 days’ work – and £16,755 expenses.
The figure for interim director of human resources Tracey Peters was £115,491 – £663 a day for 174 days’ work – and £4,040 expenses.
Interim turnaround director James Shillito cost £110,712 – £1,230 a day for 90 days’ work – and £8,802 expenses.
The quartet were brought in the save the hospital after it faced an estimated deficit of £7.4 million by the year end.
Tanya Palmer, regional head of health at Unison, said: “Most nurses earn around £1,800 a month after tax and to see someone earning hundreds of pounds more than that for just a day will be galling.”
Trust chairman Jeffrey Ellwood said a predicted £17m deficit for 2011/12 had been reduced to “break even” since the appointments.
He added: “I understand that many people will view the cost of the interims as high and we feel we should have tried to recruit a permanent team earlier.
“A comparison with the costs of permanent executives shows that the trust spent £315,000 more than permanent executives would have cost over the same period.”
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