05/10/2001

Health committee concerned over further pay increases

The Northern Ireland Assembly's health committee has raised concerns over pay rises to chief executives of health trusts in the province.

The rises are reported in the latest batch of health trust annual accounts which cover the last financial year.

The latest figures reveal that one particular chief executive received a pay rise of £27,000, bringing his earnings to £97,000.

These latest rises follow a long running controversy over levels of pay in the health service. However, most of the significant increases have been attributed to performance-related-pay which has been backdated to cover the last three years.

In May, the assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticised the Department of Health for failing to exercise more control over the issue.

However, the Institute of Healthcare Management defended the pay rises and said executive pay in Northern Ireland was around 15 per cent below that of staff in England. (MB)

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