Shocking figures have emerged that show the true levels of pay-offs in the NHS, at the same time as the health service has been forced into numerous cost cutting measures.
A Times article has discovered figures that show that during the last six years fifty thousand NHS workers have received pay-offs. Of that number three thousand were in senior positions and have pocketed up to £100,000 each in redundancy deals. Between 2015/16 £141 million alone was spent on severance packages, according to the Department of Health.
This news comes at the same time as junior doctors are planning a five-day strike and have been told they might be struck off if they continue with industrial action. Many junior doctors see the contracts as a way to stretch meagre resources even further.
Astonishingly 780 NHS employees took £150,000 to £200,000 and another 500 took more than £200k. One exec walked away with £410,000, a figure that will leave many taxpayers’ shaking their heads, as this money could have been invested in providing essential services.
Owen Smith, an ex-lobbyist for pharma giant Pfizer, was furious about the data and part of his Labour leadership bid is to protect the NHS as a viable public sector body. His rival Jeremy Corbyn launched a bid to make the NHS a completely public sector body, however his policy launch was drowned out by the noise regarding “traingate.”
Smith told The Times: “It’s hard to believe that the Tories are still spending taxpayers’ money reorganising the NHS, especially at a time when hospitals are so desperately short of cash. The Tories’ never-ending reorganisation has been a disaster from start to finish.”
However, these huge pay-offs are actually saving money for the NHS, claim the Government. A government spokesman said: ‘Our reforms saved far more than expected at £6.9billion, and cost less than originally estimated.
‘Labour oppose these reforms, but won’t say how they would afford the thousands of extra doctors and nurses that the NHS can employ as a result.’
Since you are here
Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.
Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.
Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.
If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.
To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.
The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.
The shop can be found here.
You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .
