This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/18/mps-david-nicholson-pay-rises-nhs

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
MPs criticise David Nicholson over pay rises for NHS consultants MPs criticise David Nicholson over pay rises for NHS consultants
(6 months later)
Sir David Nicholson's bruising tenure as chief executive of the NHS saw him take a further battering from MPs as the public accounts committee criticised him over big pay rises for consultants and a range of other issues, including his penchant for first class rail travel.Sir David Nicholson's bruising tenure as chief executive of the NHS saw him take a further battering from MPs as the public accounts committee criticised him over big pay rises for consultants and a range of other issues, including his penchant for first class rail travel.
Nicholson, who ran the regional health authority for some of the time that patients were being mistreated at Stafford hospital and hundreds there may have died needlessly, insisted that he remained the best person to lead the NHS.Nicholson, who ran the regional health authority for some of the time that patients were being mistreated at Stafford hospital and hundreds there may have died needlessly, insisted that he remained the best person to lead the NHS.
The chief executive, who has faced a campaign from some newspapers to step down following the publication of the report into serious failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS foundation trust, endured a long, tetchy grilling two weeks ago from the Commons health committee.The chief executive, who has faced a campaign from some newspapers to step down following the publication of the report into serious failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS foundation trust, endured a long, tetchy grilling two weeks ago from the Commons health committee.
The questioning was again hostile on Monday,particularly from the Labour chair, Margaret Hodge, over a National Audit Office report last month that questioned how much value was achieved by a 2003 deal for consultants that gave them pay rises of up to 28% in exchange for supposed productivity increases.The questioning was again hostile on Monday,particularly from the Labour chair, Margaret Hodge, over a National Audit Office report last month that questioned how much value was achieved by a 2003 deal for consultants that gave them pay rises of up to 28% in exchange for supposed productivity increases.
The NHS plan seemed to be to "shovel money" at consultants with little notion of measuring how the service they provided might have improved, Hodge claimed. "It just seems to be that at the heart of this is a great deal of money thrown at the consultants in the NHS with a dreadful return to the taxpayer."The NHS plan seemed to be to "shovel money" at consultants with little notion of measuring how the service they provided might have improved, Hodge claimed. "It just seems to be that at the heart of this is a great deal of money thrown at the consultants in the NHS with a dreadful return to the taxpayer."
Nicholson said the changes had brought "a whole series of benefits" to the NHS. He later claimedNicholson said the changes had brought "a whole series of benefits" to the NHS. He later claimed
Hodge's tone remained scathing, and having dismissed another Nicholson answer as "just waffle" she ended by questioning why he travelled first class by rail travel. This was necessary, Nicholson countered, so he could work on confidential papers while in transit. Hodge remained unconvinced, saying: "Some of us manage to work without being in first class."Hodge's tone remained scathing, and having dismissed another Nicholson answer as "just waffle" she ended by questioning why he travelled first class by rail travel. This was necessary, Nicholson countered, so he could work on confidential papers while in transit. Hodge remained unconvinced, saying: "Some of us manage to work without being in first class."
If there was any consolation for Nicholson it was that the other three NHS executives on the panel received no easier a time, and in the case of Dean Royles, head of NHS Employers, considerably worse.If there was any consolation for Nicholson it was that the other three NHS executives on the panel received no easier a time, and in the case of Dean Royles, head of NHS Employers, considerably worse.
"For heaven's sake, let's have a little bit of honesty," Hodge said to him at one point. Royles also had to endure more or less the entire committee laughing at him openly when he boasted about consultants' high levels of job satisfaction, something the chuckling Mps surmised might be caused by their stellar pay."For heaven's sake, let's have a little bit of honesty," Hodge said to him at one point. Royles also had to endure more or less the entire committee laughing at him openly when he boasted about consultants' high levels of job satisfaction, something the chuckling Mps surmised might be caused by their stellar pay.
Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.