A bombshell report has revealed hundreds of Scottish NHS executives raking in over £100,000 annually—with 512 senior managers earning more than the Prime Minister (£172,153) and nearly 300 on £200,000-plus—despite failing to reduce record patient waiting lists.
The UK’s first “NHS rich list” shows some executives received up to £150,000 in bonuses and “golden goodbyes,” while others left the health service with pensions exceeding £1 million. Paul Bachoo, Acute Medical Director and Portfolio Lead (Surgery & Clinical Support) at NHS Grampian, topped Scotland’s 2023-24 earnings at £242,500, according to data from the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA).
Nearly 1,700 NHS bureaucrats—branded “fat cats“—pocketed bumper sums in salaries, pensions, bonuses, and expenses, as taxpayers injected record funds into the health service. The revelation comes amid scandal: ambulances in parts of Scotland faced 18-hour turnaround times, and waiting lists hit unprecedented highs, while frontline staff shortages worsened.
Political Outrage Over Pay-For-Performance Gap
“Scottish health boards need more junior doctors, nurses, and carers—not more chiefs,” blasted Alexander Burnett, Scottish Conservative Chief Whip. “The SNP has allowed this disparity to fester. While patients suffer, executives enjoy six-figure paychecks.”
The TPA report highlights a “stark disconnect” between bloated administrative costs and clinical care. NHS defenders claim high salaries attract expertise, but critics demand pay be tied to metrics like waiting list reductions. As Scotland’s health service grapples with post-pandemic backlogs, the findings reignite calls for transparency and resource reallocation.
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