THE Royal College of Nursing has criticised the soaring pay bill for senior NHS managers, including at a number of trusts in the North-East and North Yorkshire.

Freedom of information requests to NHS trusts nationally revealed that the amount spent on executive directors over the last two years has increased by an average of 6.1 per cent, compared to a 1.6 per cent rise in earnings for nurses, midwives or health visitors.

While most nurses will not be getting a cost of living increase this year, 50 per cent of NHS trusts have awarded salary increases of at least £5,000 to one or more executive directors.

The RCN identified York Teaching Hospital and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) as two trusts which saw chief executives pay increase by six bands.

In the case of the York trust this saw the chief executive’s pay go up from between £160,000 and £165,000 to between £190,000 and £195,000.

In the case of the TEWV trust the chief executive’s pay went up from between £150,000 and £155,000 to between £180,000 and £185,000.

At the Gateshead Health trust the chief executive’s pay went up by four bands, from between £185,000 and £190,000 to between £205,000 and £210,000.

Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said: "The findings in this report are yet another kick in the teeth for hard-working and loyal nursing staff.

"It's extremely worrying that the Government believes that trusts are acting responsibly when it's clear many are failing to show the leadership they should on senior management remuneration."

A spokeswoman for the TEWV trust said the chief executive, Martin Barkley’s last pay rise was in 2012. Since he joined in 2008 he has had “a significant positive impact on the development of the trust.”

A spokesman for the York trust said executive pay fell after the York and Scarborough Trusts merged in 2012 and the significant increase in the size of the new trust was recognised by a one-off increase in pay in April 2012.

A spokesman for Gateshead Health Trust said: “It is important that those with ultimate accountability are remunerated appropriately so that we can retain the very best healthcare leaders in the North-East NHS.”