Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon is under fire for her department handing out massive income boosts to more than 100 senior doctors in the middle of a recession, despite the Scottish government backing a pay freeze on the highest-paid public sector staff.
Now the administration’s commitment to wage restraint for the wealthy is being questioned after Sturgeon’s officials approved a new round of “distinction” awards for NHS consultants, worth up to £75,000 a year each.
A Sunday Herald investigation recently revealed how the SNP Government had set aside £30 million next year for distinction awards, a near 7% rise from 2009.
Senior doctors can apply for a ‘B’ award, which lands them an extra £31,959 a year; a £55,924 a year ‘A’; or a £75,889 annual pay increase for receiving an ‘A+’.
The top-ups, which are pensionable, are added to a consultant’s income of between £74,504 and £100,446. More than 500 doctors currently benefit from the scheme.
The awards budget exceeds the £12.3m a year spent on tobacco control, as well as the £8.5m dedicated to health screening.
First Minister Alex Salmond has now indicated that the best-paid public sector staff should not receive increases in the current economic climate.
He told parliament last week: “I support the view that in tough economic times, those on higher bands of pay scales should bear the heaviest burden.”
However, Sturgeon’s department last week approved another 103 distinction awards.
Nine doctors received an ‘A+’, while 29 were awarded an ‘A’, and 65 consultants were notified of their ‘B’ award.
Each recipient of an ‘A+’ had previously received an ‘A’.
Included in this year’s ‘A+’category were Professor Hilary Critchley, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology; molecular medicine expert Professor Jonathan Seckl; and consultant neurologist Peter Sandercock.
Sturgeon has also announced that Charles Swainson, the medical director of NHS Lothian, will sit on the body that makes recommendations on distinction awards, a placement that attracts rumuneration of £12,168.
Swainson receives up to £205,000 for his NHS job and also benefits from a distinction award.
Alan Boyter, director of human resources and organisational development for NHS Lothian, said: “The money being paid for Dr Swainson’s appointment to this committee is being paid to NHS Lothian. Dr Swainson will not benefit financially from this sum.”
Dr Ian McKee, an SNP MSP who has called for far-reaching reform of the system, said: “If consultants are getting the equivalent of a junior government minister’s salary, on top of their own salary, this latest round of awards does look a bit off.
“I also think it unwise to add consultants to the list when money is short. There should be no pay increase for anyone with a distinction award in the short-term.”
Labour leader Iain Gray said: “It’s important that the better off, including civil servants and politicians, show a lead. The public will find these large bonus payments to very well-paid staff difficult to understand.”
Jeremy Purvis, the Scottish Liberal Democrat finance spokesman, said: “There is no restriction legally for this fund to be not just frozen, but halted. ”
A Scottish government spokesman said: “The significant increase in consultant numbers in Scotland last year led the independent pay review body to recommend that the number of distinction awards should expand with the eligible consultant population.
“However, in giving evidence to the pay review body this year, we recommended a pay freeze for consultants and no uplift to the amount payable as individual distinction awards.”
