Fury over new NHS golden handshakes

6:00am Saturday 27th January 2007

More health bosses could be walking away with golden handshakes from a health trust which has handed out almost £500,000 to senior managers.

Gina Brocklehurst, former chief executive of the Eastbourne Downs Primary Care Trust, was given £230,00 after standing down from her position following a reorganisation of health trusts in Sussex.

Earlier this month it was reported Dr Iheadi Onwuke, a former director of public health, was paid £243,000 after working at the same trust for just three weeks.

East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Annette Sergeant received a £231,000 termination payment in 2005.

Nick Yeo chief executive of East Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust claimed pay-offs were part of the reorganisation of health trusts which would save £1 million a year.

Mr Yeo said there had been no further pay-offs since October last year when the reorganisation took place but warned there would probably be more to come.

He said: "We are at the early stages of reorganisation. There will probably be others, sadly, who there won't be a place for."

Mr Yeo said efforts were being made to find senior managers positions elsewhere in the NHS. He said more details about the reorganisation would be released at the trusts board meeting in March.

According to an NHS website, Ms Brocklehurst left the trust to take up a "transitional role" with Surrey and Sussex Stategic Health Authority.

Yesterday the authority, now called South East Coast SHA, released a statement which said: "Gina Brocklehurst only had a contract with the PCT and didn't work for the strategic health authority or any other NHS organisation in our area."

The pay-offs come amid concerns for the future of services at Eastbourne District Hospital (EDH) and Hastings Conquest Hospital.

Save EDH campaigner Monica Corrina-Kavakli said: "It's outrageous. There is no excuse, no reason for anybody to get that money. It's not come as any surprise to us. "The money would pay for 300 cataract operations and more than 40 heart by-passes."

Norman Baker, MP for Lewes, called the NHS pay-off a national scandal and said he would be bringing the issue up with the secretary of state for health.

Mr Baker said: "We were told reorganisation was to help the service but they're helping individuals who are being paid off.

"I'm horrified these people can re-apply for jobs in the NHS. It is absolutely disgraceful."

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