Crisis-hit NHS bosses raking in MASSIVE salaries as frontline services cry out for cash
Some 65 health board chiefs take home six-figure salaries, with top earner Paul Bachoo, of Grampian, on £252,500 — almost £117,000 more than First Minister John Swinney.
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Calling for wages to be slashed, Labour's Carol Mochan said: 'Millions is spent propping up a web of bureaucracy while frontline services are struggling to cope.'
Our figures show that 65 of NHS executives' top earners make more than £100,000, with several clearing £200,000.
And calls have been made for some of the £9,833,094 wage bill to be diverted to struggling frontline services after cancer treatment waiting times hit a record high.
It emerged that 40 health execs earn more than First Minister John Swinney's salary of £135,605.
While 17 rake in higher than Sir Keir Starmer's 2024 wage of £172,153 — as their patients face lengthening delays for crucial care.
Caithness-based health campaigner Peter Todd has led demands for red tape to be slashed.
I bet not many of these bosses, some of whom earn more than the PM, do a night shift in A&E, regularly meet patients and travel out of their Ivory Tower
Peter ToddCaithness-based health campaigner
He said: 'I bet not many of these bosses, some of whom earn more than the PM, do a night shift in A&E, regularly meet patients and travel out of their Ivory Tower.
'And who decides upon the make-up of health boards? Because some seem ridiculously bloated.'
The Scottish Sun on Sunday's findings show 12 health board chiefs on around £200,000 or more.
Acute medical director Paul Bachoo — also a consultant vascular surgeon — was top on £252,500 while his NHS Grampian colleague Dr Hugh Bishop earned £232,500.
Ayrshire and Arran medical director Dr Crawford McGuffie was second-highest earner on £247,500.
Borders boss Dr Lynn McCallum made £227,500 while Dumfries and Galloway's Dr Ken Donaldson and Fife's Dr Christopher McKenna each commanded £212,500.
Dr Chris Deighan, of NHS Lanarkshire, earned £207,500.
Others on £200,000-plus salaries were Greater Glasgow and Clyde's Dr Scott Davidson and NHS Lothian's Tracey Gillies.
Six — health board chief execs Jann Gardner and Professor Caroline Hiscox plus directors Dr James Cotton, Tim Patterson, Dr Emilia Crichton and Boyd Peters — earned between £190,000 and £200,000.
Other big earners include £142,500-a-year NHS Fife chief executive Carol Potter — who has faced calls to quit over the £250,000 cost of the Sandie Peggie employment tribunal.
Meanwhile figures show waiting lists have doubled leaving the equivalent of nearly 900,000 adults awaiting hospital appointments.
With cancer waiting times at a record high and patients struggling to get a GP appointment, there is no excuse for scarce resources being wasted on excessive bureaucracy
Brian Whittle Tory shadow public health minister
And spending watchdogs have underlined how the NHS remains strapped for cash despite huge funding boosts.
Tory shadow public health minister Brian Whittle urged ministers to spend 'less on bloated management and more on frontline care.'
The MSP added: 'With cancer waiting times at a record high and patients struggling to get a GP appointment, there is no excuse for scarce resources being wasted on excessive bureaucracy.'
Vowing to cut the number of health boards if Labour wins next year's Scottish Parliament election, counterpart Carol Mochan weighed in: 'Scottish Labour will slash red tape so funding goes to frontline staff and services.'
We totted up wages using mid-points of salary ranges provided by health boards.
NHS Grampian emerged at the top with a £990,000 executive salary bill ahead of Greater Glasgow and Clyde's of around £862,500.
Elsewhere Lanarkshire's five chiefs banked £812,500, six NHS Forth Valley bosses made £773,094 and five NHS Fife executives were paid £762,500 collectively.
NHS FAT CATS EXPOSED
Paul Bachoo - Salary £252k
Acute Medical Director, NHS Grampian. Average surgery wait: 207 days. 1 in 10 waiting 792 days.
Dr Crawford McGuffie - Salary £247k
Medical Director, NHS Ayrshire & Arran. Average surgery wait: 150 days. 1 in 10 waiting 518 days.
Dr Hugh Bishop - Salary £232k
Medical Director, NHS Grampian. Average surgery wait: 207 days. 1 in 10 waiting 792 days.
Dr Lynn McCallum - Salary £227k
Medical Director, NHS Borders. Average surgery wait: 150 days. 1 in 10 waiting 472 days.
Ken Donaldson - Salary £212k
Medical Director, NHS Dumfries & Galloway. Average surgery wait: 166 days. 1 in 10 waiting 413 days.
Dr Christopher McKenna - Salary £212k
Medical Director, NHS Fife. Average surgery wait: 117 days. 1 in 10 waiting 340 days.
Dr Chris Deighan - Salary £207k
Medical Director, NHS Lanarkshire. Average surgery wait: 143 days. 1 in 10 waiting 466 days
Dr Scott Davidson- Salary £202k
Medical Director, NHS Glasgow & Clyde. Average surgery wait: 210 days. 1 in 10 waiting 651 days.
Tracey Gillies - Salary £202k
Medical Director, NHS Lothian. Average surgery wait: 181 days. 1 in 10 waiting 546 days.
Jann Gardner - Salary £197k
Chief Executive, NHS Glasgow & Clyde. Average surgery wait: 210 days. 1 in 10 waiting 651 days.
Prof Caroline Hiscox - Salary £197k
Chief Executive, NHS Lothian Average surgery wait: 181 days. 1 in 10 waiting 546 days
Dr James Cotton - Salary £197k
Medical Director, NHS Tayside. Average surgery wait: 199 days. 1 in 10 waiting 667 days.
Nats previously guaranteed patients the right to an operation within 12 weeks, or 84 days, of treatment being agreed.
But stats from March showed an average 167-day wait for inpatient or day case surgery.
Worst was NHS Grampian — home to some of the country's top-earning health executives — where one in ten patients faced a staggering 792-day hold-up.
Slamming the figures, Shimeon Lee, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, hit out: 'The NHS desperately needs to reduce its bloated bureaucracy.
'Despite staffing taking up a huge chunk of the budget, it isn't turning into enough doctors and nurses.
"Instead, it's going to an ever-expanding layer of management.'
Some earnings calculations do not include other payments such as pension benefits.
Former NHS Tayside chief Catherine Cowan received an £70,347 exit package on stepping down from her £217,500-a-year role in 2023.
Bosses in Ayrshire and Arran, Fife, Grampian, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Lothian and Tayside stressed some executives and directors also have frontline clinical duties.
And they told how salaries are overseen by a national performance committee.
Labour last January proposed cutting the number of health boards from 14 to three with the Tories also open to the changes.
Then-Social Care Minister Maree Todd, said at the time the idea was 'being bounced around'.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'Salaries of NHS chief executives and senior staff are independently assessed and reflect their roles as leaders of large public sector organisations.
"Medical directors are NHS consultants paid on consultant terms and conditions.
'We've committed to reforming our public services, making them more efficient, high-quality and effective.
'We are investing £21.7billion, including £200million to reduce waiting times and ensure patients get the right care.'
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