Hospital staff bonus criticised

The Lib Dems campaigned to save buildings at the Royal Victoria

An NHS hospital trust which has a £7.5m surplus in its budget is coming under fire for its decision to give every full-time member of staff a £250 bonus.

East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust said staff had worked "harder and smarter" to improve efficiency during the year.

"We felt it important to reward staff, who worked very constructively with us," said chief executive Stuart Bain.

But leader of Shepway Lib Dems, Lynne Beaumont, said the money should have been used to employ more nursing staff.

The trust, which runs the Kent and Canterbury, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, William Harvey, Buckland and Royal Victoria hospitals, has saved over £20m this financial year, according to Mr Bain.

It is not a bad idea to reward staff, but they deserve far more than £250 Lynne Beaumont

"We found different ways of organising our services to ensure that people are seen much quicker than they used to be.

"Over 90% of people are now treated within 18 weeks of being referred to us by their GP."

He said the trust was allowed to retain £7.5m of its surplus, of which £1.5m was being used to reward staff, from cleaners to consultants, and £6m was being reinvested in services.

The Lib Dems on Shepway Council led a campaign to stop the sale of Victorian buildings at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Folkestone.

The trust confirmed last June the sale would go ahead, but said services would not suffer from being transferred to a new unit.

"The whole reason for closure of wards at the Royal Victoria was because there was no money and now we are told they are £7.5m under-spent," said Ms Beaumont.

"It is not a bad idea to reward staff, but they deserve far more than £250.

"The whole point is the budget is being mismanaged.

"That £1.5m could have provided more nursing staff in the front line and taken pressure off the people who have really worked their socks off in the last year."

"It is very odd and people are very angry."