Top executives who failed to get jobs in the NHS reorganisation in Wales are having their salaries protected for up to ten years, Plaid Cymru AM Chris Franks revealed today.
The Plaid AM for South Wales Central has asked for a review of the length of protection for high earners and raised the issue with Health Minister Edwina Hart.
Chris Franks said: “In these very difficult times in terms of the public finances, it is impossible to justify that top executives on salaries of £50,000 or more should have their pay protected for 10 years. This can’t be allowed to happen again.
“I’m aware that in the private sector staff are often offered pay protection of one, two or even three years but this deal to those affected by the Organisational Change Policy goes way beyond that.
“My view is that there needs to be a review to consider whether this sort of protection to very highly paid executives is an appropriate way ahead for the future. I have asked the Minister to explore whether these deals can be renegotiated because of the change of circumstances in public finances.”
Research carried out for Chris Franks said that the maximum period of pay protection is 10 years when an employee has 15 or more years’ service.
The Welsh Assembly Government told the Plaid AM that the OCP policy aimed to ensure that the NHS retained the valuable knowledge, skills and experience of its workforce, by utilising a number of strategies, to assist displaced staff to find suitable alternative employment and/or re-training opportunities.
The NHS shake-up led to a cut in the overall number of board level posts in NHS organisations from 180 to 78, a reduction of 102 posts.
“Of the Board level Directors whose organisations were affected by the Reform programme 122 are currently employed in the NHS in Wales or the WAG, either because they obtained posts in the new Local Health Boards through competition or because they are undertaking key roles within WAG,” said the Welsh Assembly Government.
