Overview
- The TaxPayers' Alliance analysis published in late July 2026 found 574 NHS trust executives had base salaries above the Prime Minister’s £182,000 entitlement and 292 received total pay of at least £300,000, marking sharp year‑on‑year increases.
- The study covered 2024–25 trust accounts and identified 1,758 senior managers with total remuneration over £100,000, with the number of six‑figure packages rising substantially compared with the prior year.
- The report names individual executives and trusts, citing examples such as a chief executive on about £490,000 and a medical director on about £460,000 while some of those trusts performed poorly on A&E and referral‑to‑treatment targets.
- Campaigners and opposition figures called for stricter limits and clearer links between pay and outcomes, and the Department of Health and Social Care defended competitive salaries as needed to attract leaders and pointed to the existing performance‑linked framework.
- The figures build on November 2024 rules that allow up to 10% performance bonuses and temporary recruitment pay uplifts up to 15%, a policy detail that officials say helps explain some rises and that now shapes the political debate over accountability and waiting lists.