A UNION has branded a £15,000 pay rise for an NHS boss as "disgraceful".

Unison was reacting to a report which revealed that Professor Tricia Hart, who was appointed as chief executive at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust during the last financial year, was given a remuneration package of £220,000 to £225,000 - up £15,000 on her predecessor.

Andrew Anderson, branch secretary of the union's South Tees health branch, said details of the pay rise came at a time when the trust was preparing for a visit from NHS regulator Monitor to show that they had a financial recovery plan

He added that 60 per cent of NHS staff were being refused a pay rise, with some fighting down banding.

"Trust staff are suffering increases in car parking and nursery charges, and struggling to make ends meet.

"However this Trust feels it appropriate to reward the failures of itself with a pay rise for its most senior member of staff - disgraceful.”

Commenting on the pay rise, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the salary for the CEO post had remained static for a number of years.

A spokeswoman added: "In seeking a replacement for the previous CEO we did a benchmarking exercise against other similar organisations and decided to increase the basic salary to help attract the best candidate.

"Even with the increase we still pay less than many other large acute trusts.”

The data was released this week by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

Its report showed that senior NHS managers across the North-East and Cumbria saw their pay increase in 2013/14.