A HOSPITAL trust’s average gender pay gap has placed it among the only ten NHS bodies in the country where women are paid more than men.

Women working at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust are paid one per cent more than men, based on the median average of hourly earnings, making it one of 14 per cent of organisations in the country where the gender pay gap favours women.

Data compiled by business finance research group Rangewell shows that there are only ten NHS bodies where women are paid more than men, based on median average hourly pay.

Barbara Harris, the head of equality, diversity and inclusion at the Trust, said: “We are pleased our median gender pay rates are quite equal, but there are gaps in areas like pay progression and bonuses which we want to look at.

“A gender pay working group will be looking at practical ideas to reduce the gaps in these other areas.”

The current gender split within the overall workforce at the Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, is 71.3 per cent female and 28.7 per cent male.

A report published by the Trust shows that the mean average gender pay gap among its employees is 17.6 per cent in favour of men, compared with the one per cent median average pay gap in favour of women.

Although the mean average pay gap is higher, there are generally less women in higher-paid positions than men and the distribution of pay among employees is uneven.

Using the median tends to produce results closest to the typical pay received by men and women at an organisation.

The Trust’s report states: “There is an overall difference in pay for men and women for agenda for change and medical staff.

“Female median pay is higher than males for agenda for change, but lower for medical.”

It also notes that there is a higher proportion of men in the upper pay group than in the workforce overall.

The report shows that on average, the median bonus payment for male medical staff participating in its clinical excellence awards scheme is 52.1 per cent higher than that received by female medical staff.

Men have been shown to earn more on average in the health sector, with the average pay gap being 18.7 per cent.

Among companies that have reported their findings so far, the average pay gap favours men by 9.7 per cent.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust is now in the process of setting up a gender pay working group to look at the data and advise on ways to reduce the gaps in favour of men seen in the report.

The group will report its findings to the Trust’s leadership, culture and workforce programme executive steering committee.

The Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust was also found to have a median average gender pay gap in favour of women, with the hourly wage received by men being 3.8 per cent less than women receive.

West Sussex Hospitals Trust also reported its pay gap favours women based on the median average of hourly pay, with men being paid 0.9 per cent less.