New chief executive takes over at Jersey hospice
Ms Street said: "Jersey Hospice Care has a very special place in the hearts of islanders. "I am looking forward to supporting the team in continuing their great work in making sure everyone living with a life-limiting condition, and their loved ones, are well supported and cared for."In its annual report, the charity said 850 islanders received care during 2024.It added £1.1m was raised through its charity shop sales and 330 volunteers had contributed 26,337 hours throughout the year.
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The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Crisis-hit NHS bosses raking in MASSIVE salaries as frontline services cry out for cash
SCORES of NHS bosses are raking in a combined £10million a year while patients endure lengthy backlogs for treatment, we can reveal. Some 65 health board chiefs take home six-figure salaries, with top earner Paul Bachoo, of Grampian, on £252,500 — almost £117,000 more than First Minister John Swinney. 4 4 4 Calling for wages to be slashed, Labour's Carol Mochan said: 'Millions is spent propping up a web of bureaucracy while frontline services are struggling to cope.' Our figures show that 65 of NHS executives' top earners make more than £100,000, with several clearing £200,000. And calls have been made for some of the £9,833,094 wage bill to be diverted to struggling frontline services after cancer treatment waiting times hit a record high. It emerged that 40 health execs earn more than First Minister John Swinney's salary of £135,605. While 17 rake in higher than Sir Keir Starmer's 2024 wage of £172,153 — as their patients face lengthening delays for crucial care. Caithness-based health campaigner Peter Todd has led demands for red tape to be slashed. I bet not many of these bosses, some of whom earn more than the PM, do a night shift in A&E, regularly meet patients and travel out of their Ivory Tower Peter ToddCaithness-based health campaigner He said: 'I bet not many of these bosses, some of whom earn more than the PM, do a night shift in A&E, regularly meet patients and travel out of their Ivory Tower. 'And who decides upon the make-up of health boards? Because some seem ridiculously bloated.' The Scottish Sun on Sunday's findings show 12 health board chiefs on around £200,000 or more. Acute medical director Paul Bachoo — also a consultant vascular surgeon — was top on £252,500 while his NHS Grampian colleague Dr Hugh Bishop earned £232,500. Ayrshire and Arran medical director Dr Crawford McGuffie was second-highest earner on £247,500. Borders boss Dr Lynn McCallum made £227,500 while Dumfries and Galloway's Dr Ken Donaldson and Fife's Dr Christopher McKenna each commanded £212,500. Dr Chris Deighan, of NHS Lanarkshire, earned £207,500. Others on £200,000-plus salaries were Greater Glasgow and Clyde's Dr Scott Davidson and NHS Lothian's Tracey Gillies. Six — health board chief execs Jann Gardner and Professor Caroline Hiscox plus directors Dr James Cotton, Tim Patterson, Dr Emilia Crichton and Boyd Peters — earned between £190,000 and £200,000. Other big earners include £142,500-a-year NHS Fife chief executive Carol Potter — who has faced calls to quit over the £250,000 cost of the Sandie Peggie employment tribunal. Meanwhile figures show waiting lists have doubled leaving the equivalent of nearly 900,000 adults awaiting hospital appointments. With cancer waiting times at a record high and patients struggling to get a GP appointment, there is no excuse for scarce resources being wasted on excessive bureaucracy Brian Whittle Tory shadow public health minister And spending watchdogs have underlined how the NHS remains strapped for cash despite huge funding boosts. Tory shadow public health minister Brian Whittle urged ministers to spend 'less on bloated management and more on frontline care.' The MSP added: 'With cancer waiting times at a record high and patients struggling to get a GP appointment, there is no excuse for scarce resources being wasted on excessive bureaucracy.' Vowing to cut the number of health boards if Labour wins next year's Scottish Parliament election, counterpart Carol Mochan weighed in: 'Scottish Labour will slash red tape so funding goes to frontline staff and services.' We totted up wages using mid-points of salary ranges provided by health boards. NHS Grampian emerged at the top with a £990,000 executive salary bill ahead of Greater Glasgow and Clyde's of around £862,500. Elsewhere Lanarkshire's five chiefs banked £812,500, six NHS Forth Valley bosses made £773,094 and five NHS Fife executives were paid £762,500 collectively. NHS FAT CATS EXPOSED Paul Bachoo - Salary £252k Acute Medical Director, NHS Grampian. Average surgery wait: 207 days. 1 in 10 waiting 792 days. Dr Crawford McGuffie - Salary £247k Medical Director, NHS Ayrshire & Arran. Average surgery wait: 150 days. 1 in 10 waiting 518 days. Dr Hugh Bishop - Salary £232k Medical Director, NHS Grampian. Average surgery wait: 207 days. 1 in 10 waiting 792 days. Dr Lynn McCallum - Salary £227k Medical Director, NHS Borders. Average surgery wait: 150 days. 1 in 10 waiting 472 days. Ken Donaldson - Salary £212k Medical Director, NHS Dumfries & Galloway. Average surgery wait: 166 days. 1 in 10 waiting 413 days. Dr Christopher McKenna - Salary £212k Medical Director, NHS Fife. Average surgery wait: 117 days. 1 in 10 waiting 340 days. Dr Chris Deighan - Salary £207k Medical Director, NHS Lanarkshire. Average surgery wait: 143 days. 1 in 10 waiting 466 days Dr Scott Davidson- Salary £202k Medical Director, NHS Glasgow & Clyde. Average surgery wait: 210 days. 1 in 10 waiting 651 days. Tracey Gillies - Salary £202k Medical Director, NHS Lothian. Average surgery wait: 181 days. 1 in 10 waiting 546 days. Jann Gardner - Salary £197k Chief Executive, NHS Glasgow & Clyde. Average surgery wait: 210 days. 1 in 10 waiting 651 days. Prof Caroline Hiscox - Salary £197k Chief Executive, NHS Lothian Average surgery wait: 181 days. 1 in 10 waiting 546 days Dr James Cotton - Salary £197k Medical Director, NHS Tayside. Average surgery wait: 199 days. 1 in 10 waiting 667 days. Nats previously guaranteed patients the right to an operation within 12 weeks, or 84 days, of treatment being agreed. But stats from March showed an average 167-day wait for inpatient or day case surgery. Worst was NHS Grampian — home to some of the country's top-earning health executives — where one in ten patients faced a staggering 792-day hold-up. Slamming the figures, Shimeon Lee, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, hit out: 'The NHS desperately needs to reduce its bloated bureaucracy. 'Despite staffing taking up a huge chunk of the budget, it isn't turning into enough doctors and nurses. "Instead, it's going to an ever-expanding layer of management.' Some earnings calculations do not include other payments such as pension benefits. Former NHS Tayside chief Catherine Cowan received an £70,347 exit package on stepping down from her £217,500-a-year role in 2023. Bosses in Ayrshire and Arran, Fife, Grampian, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Lothian and Tayside stressed some executives and directors also have frontline clinical duties. And they told how salaries are overseen by a national performance committee. Labour last January proposed cutting the number of health boards from 14 to three with the Tories also open to the changes. Then-Social Care Minister Maree Todd, said at the time the idea was 'being bounced around'. A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'Salaries of NHS chief executives and senior staff are independently assessed and reflect their roles as leaders of large public sector organisations. "Medical directors are NHS consultants paid on consultant terms and conditions. 'We've committed to reforming our public services, making them more efficient, high-quality and effective. 'We are investing £21.7billion, including £200million to reduce waiting times and ensure patients get the right care.' 4
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Three stocks that could net healthy profits from the battle to slash NHS waiting lists
The NHS was once the envy of the world. No longer. Health Secretary Wes Streeting openly admits it is in crisis, with more than six million people on waiting lists and chaos predicted if hospital doctors walk out this week. However, plans are afoot to deliver change, with more choice for patients, better use of technology and investment in tip-top GP surgeries to offer everything from biopsies to help with depression. As the Government works on the small print, canny firms are already stepping in to offer solutions – and creating opportunities for investors to reap long-term rewards. Here are three that are giving the NHS a boost – and could do the same for your portfolio. One Health Group One Health Group was founded in 2004 by Derek Bickerstaff, an orthopaedic consultant who reckoned there must be a way to tackle waiting lists while continuing to provide patients with the free service offered by the NHS. His hunch was correct, and today One Health treats more than 17,000 people a year, providing consultations, operations and post-operative care for conditions ranging from dodgy hips to hernias. The company operates 40 community clinics across the Midlands and the North, and works with 130 NHS surgeons and anaesthetists. Patients wait two to four weeks for an initial consultation and undergo surgery, if needed, a few weeks later. Satisfaction levels are extremely high, and One Health is registered as a qualified alternative provider of care so the treatment is entirely free, just like the NHS. Bickerstaff's strategy is simple. He rents space in GP surgeries for his community clinics and space from private hospitals with spare capacity for operations. Agreements are also set up with surgeons and anaesthetists outside of their NHS obligations. Contracts are long-term and benefits are wide-ranging. GPs, hospitals and doctors receive extra income, patients are seen faster and NHS trusts can breathe easier. The business steers clear of affluent areas, where independent hospitals and NHS doctors can earn huge sums. Instead, it focuses on poorer parts of the country. Processes are smoother and more efficient because One Health does not deal with emergencies, is not involved in cancer or other complex conditions and has spent years developing its technology to the benefit of patients, doctors and suppliers. One Health joined the AQSE growth market in 2022 and moved up to Aim in March, raising cash along the way to fund its first surgical hub – a standalone site in Scunthorpe with an operating theatre and 12 beds. This should give a significant uplift to One Health profits. Today, the group gives about 70 per cent of gross revenues to hospitals in return for their space, facilities and nursing staff. The surgical hub will generate far higher profits at no cost to patients, and discussions are already under way for a second hub. NHS patients have a statutory right to choose their treatment provider, and increasing numbers are choosing One Health, which saw a 28 per cent increase in patients last year, generating a 23 per cent rise in revenues to £28.4 million with profits of £1.9 million and a dividend of 6.2p. One Health shares have had a strong run since joining Aim, and are now trading at £2.88. But brokers are optimistic about the business, suggesting shares could hit £3 or more over the next year or two. Buy and hold. Traded on: Aim Ticker: OHGR Contact: Optima Health The UK loses about £220 billion every year because people are taking days off sick or believe that they are too ill to work at all. Poor health is an epidemic, and the consequences spread far and wide. Hospitals are overstretched, depression is rife and economic growth is anaemic. Optima Health is the largest occupational health business in the country, working with some 2,000 employers, from NHS trusts, the police and HM Prisons to Bentley Motors, Ikea, investment banks and train operators. These organisations collectively employ five million people, almost 15 per cent of the nation's workforce, and Optima's job is to ensure they are fit and healthy so they can be fully productive. Police undergo fitness tests to check they are physically and mentally capable for the job. Factory workers are routinely assessed if they operate in noisy conditions or use vibrating tools. Even lollipop men and women have regular ear and eye tests to ensure they are capable of helping children cross the road. Under chief executive Jonathan Thomas, Optima also works with staff who are either on sick leave or think they may need to take time off. Aches and pains, such as back ache or dodgy knees, and mental health issues, such as stress or depression, are the biggest source of ill health. Optima employs more than 800 clinicians, including doctors, physiotherapists and mental health advisers, who identify ailments and help employees feel better and return to work. Thomas is expanding into new fields too, winning a seven-year, £210 million contract from the Armed Forces to conduct medical assessments on potential recruits for the Navy, the Army and the Air Force. Applicants will undergo rigorous checks to ensure they are physically and mentally fit to defend their country – from testing whether they can crawl through small spaces to seeing how they respond in high-stress situations. Optima has also spent ten years perfecting an online triage tool for bodily aches and pains, taking users through an eight-minute questionnaire to diagnose the next stage of treatment. Already in use by businesses across the country, the tool has now been taken up by the Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust, which runs hospitals and clinics across the North West. Discussions are under way with other NHS Trusts and further contracts are expected, as the tool can be used night and day, delivers more accurate results than face-to-face triage and cuts waiting lists dramatically, while ensuring people secure the right treatment. Results for the year to March included profits of £2.6 million. They are expected to more than double this year. Occupational health is a fragmented industry with thousands of small players. This presents plenty of opportunities for Optima. The workforce is changing too, growing older, larger and less healthy, which should bode well for Optima, making the shares a long-term buy at £1.94. Traded on: Aim Ticker: OPT Contact: Assura/PHP Crunch time is approaching for shareholders in GP-surgeries-to- private-hospital owner Assura. The company has been at the centre of a bidding war between UK-listed healthcare specialist PHP and US private equity giant, KKR, bidding through a company called Sana Bidco. Assura's board has recommended the PHP offer. Now shareholders must decide whether to follow their advice. They should, as the PHP deal is likely to deliver far greater long-term benefits. PHP owns about 500 healthcare centres offering everyday GP appointments as well as services from physiotherapy and weight management to biopsies and post-cancer care. A tie-up with Assura would create a group with more than 1,000 sites, easing the pressure on hospitals. A trading update from PHP showed it is forging ahead – a larger group would almost certainly do even better. PHP has a 29-year record of dividend growth, too, and boss Mark Davies has said the merged business should bolster shareholder payouts. Assura investors should back this offer.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Now Auditor General stands ready to probe NHS Fife chiefs over their handling of trans battle
Scotland's Auditor General could launch a probe into NHS Fife, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. In an exclusive interview, Stephen Boyle refused to rule out taking a deep-dive into the health board's finances and governance structures. It comes as Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay last night demanded First Minister John Swinney 'sack' NHS Fife's CEO and board if they did not 'do the right thing and quit'. Sandie Peggie, 51, was suspended from her role at Victoria Hospital, in Kirkcaldy, last year after she objected to 30-year-old male-born Dr Beth Upton using the female facilities. She is also suing the Royal College of Nursing union, a fact first revealed by MailOnline in May. Last night, Mr Boyle - who assesses public bodies' value for money as well as their governance structures and accountability - said he would make a decision on whether to probe NHS Fife after his auditors complete their usual reports. Asked about the use of taxpayer funds to pay for legal costs relating to the tribunal so far, Mr Boyle said he understood why the public might be concerned over the spending. He said: 'Without commenting on the specifics of the case... I understand across the piece why the public will want to be satisfied absolutely that public money is spent properly consistent with the roles and responsibility of public bodies who are tasked with implementing government policy.' Probed over whether he had concerns NHS Fife might not be complying with the law on single sex spaces - clarified by a Supreme Court ruling that a woman is defined by her biological sex in April - he said he would await the auditor's usual report of the health board. He said: 'How I discharge my responsibilities, particularly when it comes to individual public bodies, is through the annual auditors. I appoint auditors for all public bodies, with the exception of local government and they'll conduct an audit of the expenditure. 'In public sector context, we don't just look at the numbers, we also look at governance, accountability and value for money, and I'll await the auditor's report. 'That's something that they will refer to, and it's something that I can then take a decision, as I do in many cases, whether to proceed with a statutory report to the Scottish Parliament on the back of that.' And pushed on whether he will investigate NHS Fife's handling of the case, he said: 'It's not something I have made a decision on yet. I will await the auditor's report.' Mr Boyle's comments come after Scottish Tory leader Mr Findlay yesterday said the tribunal was unfolding like an 'ongoing slow-motion car crash'. He said NHS Fife's chief executive Carol Potter, who earns at least £147,700 a year, and her 'entire board can no longer remain in post'. And he condemned a media statement released by the health board on Friday evening which took a swipe at human rights organisation Sex Matters, which is supporting Mrs Peggie. The statement read: 'Sex Matters have been very active, making statements which it would appear are aimed at steering public opinion in a way that NHS Fife as a public body clearly cannot.' It added: 'There has been significant and very polarised debate on social media regarding the case and associated issues, throughout. In some cases, however, what began as debate has evolved into much more worrying behaviour, including a threat of physical harm and sexual violence, which has required the involvement of Police Scotland.' NHS Fife later tweaked the release, adding: 'NHS Fife is not seeking to suggest that anyone involved with Sex Matters have contributed to the behaviour or issues mentioned above.' However the move backfired spectacularly, drawing criticism and ridicule in equal measure. Last night, Mr Findlay said: 'In their zeal to embrace the SNP's bonkers belief in gender ideology, they were willing to destroy the career of a nurse and waste huge sums of taxpayers' money. 'But instead of taking any responsibility for their own conduct, they've now resorted to smearing Sandie Peggie and the campaigners who have stood with her.' He added: 'John Swinney, Neil Grey and their SNP colleagues appear to be the only people left in Scotland who think this is okay. 'If the NHS Fife board won't do the right thing and quit, then they should be sacked.' NHS Fife's statement also made reference to a freedom of information battled between the health board and The Mail. However that also caused concern, and sparked a warning from the Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton who said it had cast doubt on its compliance with FOI legislation. In May, he ordered NHS Fife to review what information it held about its legal bill for the tribunal after it failed to supply the costs to The Mail. Earlier this month, NHS Fife published data saying the case had cost £220,500 as of the end of May - although that had soared to £258,831 by the end of June. Mr Hamilton said: 'The petulant tone of NHS Fife's latest statement is quite remarkable, but it is the contents that concern me most. They have now cast doubt upon the assurances they gave me regarding compliance with my Decision Notice.' If the authority had not complied, he said he may 'report the matter to the Court of Session as a contempt of court'. According to the health board's communications policy, Press releases are approved by the 'relevant Executive Director and Chief Executive before release', meaning Mrs Potter was likely aware of the statement. The tribunal battle between the veteran nurse, the health board and the doctor continues. A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'Ministers have been clear they have confidence in the board. It would however be inappropriate to comment further while judicial proceedings in an Employment Tribunal are ongoing.' A spokeswoman for NHS Fife said: 'To date, NHS Fife has had no contact from the Auditor General on this matter.'
