ANGRY staff members ranging from nurses to governors have hit out at the huge payrises awarded to the hospital’s executive board in April.

One nurse said she has been told to cover extra shifts because the hospital is in debt and has not been given a payrise this year.

“Maybe Catherine should do few shifts on the ward and see what we have to put up with. She wouldn’t last the morning.”

The news that executive board members have received almost £70,000 between them in their annual payrises sparked anger in Warrington and Halton hospitals, a union official said.

“They could employ four or five nurses for that amount. We’re so short staffed and it’s unbelievable how many nurses want to leave because they’re burnt out, they’re overworked and short of staff.”

The news of the pay rises emerged after chairman of the board Allan Massey’s salary doubled from £21,000 to £42,000 earlier this year due to ‘extra responsilibities’ “I don’t think that’s a valid argument,” the union official said. “They should get 2.4 per cent like the rest of us.”

Another worker queried what size pension the board members would get.

In its last annual report, Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust stated that for chief executive Catherine Beardshaw the lump sum at age 60 would equal between £150,000 and £155,000, with her total accrued pension in the region of £50,000 to £55,000.

Those figures were before the £21,131 pay rise she was given in April.

Last September, 16 publicly elected hospital governors were chosen to run the Governors’ Council, a body set up to ‘ensure that decisions around the hospitals are made in the interest of the local community’.

But more than one governor has since resigned, and one told the Warrington Guardian it was over the pay rises.

“Their rises and other decisions had been decided before it came down to the governing body. It became just a nodding dog and I wasn’t prepared to be a nodding dog,” said the man, who wants to remain anonymous.

“I was under the impression that we would be part of an elected governing body that made decisions but apparently all those were already made.”

The man said he had challenged the system and was told decisions go to the governing body to be ratified rather than made.

“I resigned on principle. I wasn’t going to go to a meeting and be told what to decide.”

The hospital said that executive salaries are based on comparative figures from across the NHS and are decided by non-executive directors.

The average salary for a chief executive of a foundation trust was £157,000 in April 2008.

A spokesman for Warrington and Halton Hospitals said: "The hospitals are investing well over £2 million in more than 80 brand new staff posts on the wards and departments over the coming year as we open extra beds across the hospital and improve staffing levels in key areas.

"Wherever staff are often asked to cover gaps due to holidays and sickness they are always remunerated appropriately and we invest in the new permanent roles where our service need dictates that we need them.

"We also continually review staffing levels to ensure they meet our need and are at present undertaking this review again in conjunction with clinical leaders.

"We have been consulting on car parking charging proposals which cover all staff and are scaled according to salary. These proposals are only being consulted on at the moment."

The pension pots according to last September's annual report:

* Medical director Gordon Ramsden will get a lump sum of £115,000 to £120,000 at age 60 with a total accrued pension of £35,000 to £40,000.

* Director of human resources and organisational development, Sheila Samuels, will get a lump sum of £90,000 to £95,000 and has an accrued pension of £30,000 to £35,000.

* Director of nursing and governance, Kathryn Holbourn, will get a lump sum of £115,000 to £120,000 with an accrued pension of £35,000 to £40,000.

* Director of operations, Simon Wright, will get £30,000 to £35,000 with and accrued pension of £10,000 to £15,000. He started work at the hospitals on June 18, 2007.

* Director of operations, Simon Wright, will get a lump sum of £45,000 to £50,000 and has an accrued pension of £15,000 to £20,000. He started work at the trust on July 9, 2007.