A hospital trust has defended a decision to award its three-day-a-week chairman a 150% pay rise.
Russell Hart's salary will be boosted from £20,000 to £50,000 after a meeting of the governors North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
The trust's chief executive said the increase was "appropriate" after the trust was granted foundation status.
Union bosses said they expected other employees pay rises to reflect the chairman's new salary.
Non-executive directors at the trust had their allowances increased from £6,000 to £11,000.
'Future success'
Chief executive Alan Foster said: "A chairman of an NHS Foundation Trust has extra responsibilities and the role is more like that of chairman of a public limited company.
"It is vital for the future success of the NHS foundation trust that it can attract and retain a board of directors whose members are appropriately rewarded for the challenging work they have to do."
Liz Twist, from Unison, said: "We really want to be seeing the staff of the trust getting a sizeable pay increase this year.
"It is not just the chairman of the trust that should be rewarded."
The trust runs the University Hospital of Hartlepool, the University Hospital of North Tees and Peterlee Community Hospital.
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