Four paid non-executive directors appointed to new hospital NHS Trust

FOUR non-executive directors appointed this week to the Board of the new Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust- will receive payments totally well over one nurse's annual salary.

The Trust manages St Richards Hospital, Chichester, and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals.

Critics have questioned the need for non-executive members with no medical experience to be paid, saying the salaries could be better spent on medical care.

Tony Clark, Joanna Crane, Bill Brown and Jon Furmston are all being paid 6,096 each per annum.

They join two existing paid non-executive directors-who joined the board at the outset from previous Trusts, having been appointed by the Appointments Board -Michael Carter, a non-executive director at Royal West Sussex NHS Trust and Martin Phillips, a non-executive director at Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust.

Statutory requirements for the board are that it should have six non-executive members.

Bill Brown, Tony Clark, Joanna Crane and Jon Furmston have joined the Trust Board to offer 'an external perspective on the running of the hospitals'. Each will serve a four year term from April 2 2009 to April 1 2013.

A spokeswoman said:"As a Foundation Trust, the organisation can have a larger Trust Board. The Trust is planning to submit its application to become a Foundation Trust next year."

For full story see West Sussex Gazette May 20