TaxPayers' Alliance reveals 1,694 NHS senior managers on six figure pay packets

26th May 2025

NHS Rich List finds that 1,694 senior managers received more than £100,000 in total remuneration in 2023-24

1,557 had salary entitlements over £100,000, including 279 receiving between £200,000 and £300,000 and 17 who received over £300,000. 512 senior NHS managers had higher salaries than the prime minister.

The highest paid NHS senior manager, Ann James, chief executive of University Hospitals Plymouth, received almost £400,000 in total remuneration. This Trust ranked 95 out of 136 in England for A&E waiting times.

The TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) today reveals in a new NHS rich list that in 2023-24 there were 1,694 senior managers receiving over £100,000 in total remuneration across 224 NHS Trusts. Total remuneration includes salary, expenses, benefits, bonuses and pension contributions. Looking at salaries alone, 1,557 had salary entitlements of at least £100,000, including 279 receiving between £200,000 and £300,000 and 17 who received over £300,000. There were 512 senior managers in the NHS on a higher salary than the prime minister.

While few would disagree with paying doctors and nurses appropriately for the often difficult jobs they do, the NHS rich list shows that managers in hospitals with poor A&E performance and long waiting times from referral to treatment (RTT) are still picking up handsome remuneration packages at taxpayers' expense. Waiting times for hospital procedures have risen; the number of patients waiting more than a year is now 15 times higher than in 2010. A&E performance has also declined, with 40 per cent of patients now waiting more than four hours.

Wes Streeting announced that NHS leaders will be facing a new ‘carrot and stick' performance drive. This new push for NHS reform will link NHS leaders’ pay rises to how well they cut waiting lists and deliver improvements to patients.

The TPA’s research reveals that there were 1,261 senior managers with salaries between £100,000 and £200,000, 279 with salaries between £200,000 and £300,000 and 17 with salaries over £300,000. University Hospitals Plymouth's chief executive had the highest salary in 2023-24, receiving £382,500. This Trust was ranked 95 of 136 in England for A&E waiting time.

The highest salary for a senior manager in Scotland was £242,500, belonging to Paul Bachoo, acute medical and portfolio lead at NHS Grampian. The Trust was ranked 12 of 14 for treatment referrals and 10 of 14 for A&E waiting times.

The worst performing trust by percentage of A&E attendances within four hours or less was East Cheshire, with just 50.6 per cent of patients being seen within four hours. The trust had 8 senior managers who received over £100,000 in total remuneration, including the director of people and culture, Rachel Charlton, who received £367,500 in total remuneration.

The worst performing trust according to referral to treatment median waiting times was Cambridge and Peterborough, at 32.1 weeks. This Trust had 8 senior managers receiving over £100,000 in total remuneration. Their chief medical director, Catherine Walsh, received £387,500 in total remuneration.

Key findings:

In 2023-24, there were 1,694 senior managers receiving over £100,000 in total remuneration (comprising salary, expenses, benefits, bonuses and pension benefits) across 224 NHS trusts.

Of these, 1,557 had a salary over £100,000, comprising:
17 who had salaries over £300,000

279 who had salaries between £200,000 and £300,000

1,261 who had salaries between £100,000 and £200,000

512 senior managers had a salary greater than the prime minister’s £172,153 entitlement.

Highest salary
University Hospitals Plymouth had the senior manager with the highest salary in 2023-24, with chief executive, Ann James, receiving £382,500 (£397,500 total remuneration). The trust was ranked 95 out of 136 in England for A&E waiting time.
This was followed by North Tees and Hartlepool, where chief nurse and director of patient safety and quality, Lindsey Robertson, received £362,500 in 2023-24 (£367,500 total remuneration).

Next was Royal Devon University Healthcare, where chief executive officer, Suzanne Tracey, received a salary of £357,500 in 2023-24 (£382,500 total remuneration).

Highest salary in Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish NHS organisations
Paul Bachoo, acute medical and portfolio lead (surgery and clinical support) at NHS Grampian was the senior manager with the highest salary in Scotland in 2023-24, at £242,500. The trust was ranked 12 of 14 for RTT waiting times and 10 of 14 for A&E waiting times in Scotland.

Suzanne Rankin, chief executive of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, had the highest salary of any senior manager in Wales in 2023-24 at £232,500. The health board was ranked 5 of 7 for RTT waiting time and 6 of 7 for A&E waiting time in Wales.

NHS Belfast had the senior manager with the highest salary in Northern Ireland in 2023-24, with chief executive, Cathy Jack, receiving £237,500.

Notable individuals
University Hospitals Birmingham was ranked 128 of 149 for RTT waiting times and 119 of 136 for A&E waiting times in England. Their chief executive officer, Jonathan Brotherton, had total remuneration of £427,500 in 2023-24.

University Hospitals Sussex was ranked 143 of 149 for RTT waiting times and 105 of 136 for A&E waiting times in England. Their chief executive officer, George Findlay, received £252,500 in total remuneration in 2023-24, including £32,500 in performance pay.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was ranked 7 of 7 for both RTT and A&E waiting times in Wales. Interim chief executive Gill Harris served for five months of the financial year before leaving and received £157,500 in total remuneration, including a £52,180 settlement package.

NHS Lanarkshire ranked 13 of 14 for RTT waiting times and 14 of 14 for A&E waiting times in Scotland. Their chief executive J Gardner received £157,500 in total remuneration in 2023-24.
Best and worst performing trusts by A&E waiting time (England)
Queen Victoria Hospital had the best A&E waiting time of 136 trusts. Their chief executive did not receive over £100,000 in remuneration. The senior manager with the highest total remuneration in the trust was chief nursing officer, Nicky Reeves, at £162,500 in 2023-24.

East Cheshire had the worst A&E waiting time of 136 trusts. The chief executive, Ged Murphy, had total remuneration of £172,500 in 2023-24.

Best and worst performing trusts by RTT waiting time (England)
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust had the best RTT waiting time of 149 trusts. The chief executive officer, Joe Rafferty, had total remuneration of £257,500 in 2023-24.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Trust had the worst RTT waiting time of 149 trusts. The chief executive, Anna Hills, had total remuneration of £172,500 in 2023-24.

Highest salary by function
Digital: Beverley Bryant, chief digital information officer shared between King’s College Hospital and Guy and St Thomas’, had the highest salary within this function at £252,500 in 2023-24.

HR: Louise Tibbert, chief people officer at North West Anglia had the highest salary within this function at £257,500 in 2023-24.

Strategy: Shane Gordon, director of strategy, research and innovation at East Suffolk and North Essex had the highest salary within this function at £237,500 in 2023-24.
Finance: Lorcan Wood, chief financial officer at King’s College Hospital, had the highest salary within this function at £287,500 in 2023-24.

Shimeon Lee, policy analyst of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said, "Taxpayers will be appalled that while NHS patients face prolonged waiting lists and dismal A&E performance, hundreds of senior managers are pocketing six-figure pay packets.

"No one disputes that frontline staff deserve decent pay, but this rich list shows that there are sky-high salaries for senior bureaucrats, many in underachieving trusts, that are impossible to justify.

"If ministers are serious about getting the NHS back on track, they need to ensure that managers of poor performing Trusts aren’t being rewarded for failure, put patients first, and ensure best practice is spread throughout the health service."

Source
https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/taxpayers_alliance_reveals_1_694_nhs_senior_managers_on_six_figure_pay_packets