HEALTH BOSS PAY OFF - AFTER TWO WEEKS' WORK

He has called for an investigation into Eastbourne Downs Primary Care Trust's decision to give the Director a massive pay-off.

Information revealed by Mr Baker shows that the Director in question was given the huge sum of 243,000 for, it appears, only two weeks of work.

Mr Baker said: 'The news is made all the more surprising by the fact that it comes at a time as Eastbourne Downs Primary care trust looks to push through sweeping cuts which may well lead to a downgrading of services at Eastbourne DGH.

'I find the series of events involving the Primary Care Trust and the Director in question scarcely believable. I am extremely concerned that such a huge amount of money was paid to an individual, who I understand only worked for the trust for a matter of weeks, at a time when the Trust is involved in cutting services available to patients at Eastbourne DGH.

'I have written to the Health Secretary, and to the Chief Executive of the Strategic Health Authority, and asked them to start an investigation into this episode.

'I will be especially interested to learn the basis on which the payment of this huge sum for such little work was authorised, and also why this use of taxpayer's money was concealed from the public.'