Six Figure NHS Salaries Would Be Better Spent In Brent

2.44.15pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 17th Dec 2007

Sarah Teather chatting to nurses

Liberal Democrat Brent MP Sarah Teather has forced the government to admit that, at a time when health visitors and school nurses in Brent are being slashed, the number of Department of Health officials on six figure salaries have soared.

Responding to Sarah's Parliamentary Question in the House of Commons, Health Ministers confessed that under Labour the number of Department of Health civil servants on an annual salary of more than £100,000 has leapt from eight to fifty six.

Meanwhile, Brent's local Primary Care Trust (tPCT) is struggling under a £24million deficit. The Government are forcing the Trust into a programme of cuts which will hit vital services across the borough, including front line staff such as health visitors and school nurses.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"Local NHS staff fearful for their jobs will be staggered to learn that Labour are dishing out more six figure sums than ever before to civil servants in Whitehall.

"It is outrageous that as our borough is facing devastating cuts that will impact on the neediest people in Brent, those developing Labour's health policies are earning more than ever before. Local people will want to know how many of these top earners are political advisors employed to do the Government's spin.

"Labour has a disastrous record on health care in Brent. The explosion in civil service pay is an insult to hardworking NHS stag on the front line: this money would be better spent in Brent."