NHS boss David Flory handed £410,000 pay-off

An NHS boss and adviser to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has received a pay-off worth £410,000 on top of his annual salary, figures show.

David Flory announced in March that he was stepping down as chief executive of the NHS Trust Development Authority (TDA).

Annual TDA accounts show Mr Flory received a salary worth £205,000 to £210,000 plus pension benefits.

On top of this, he received a settlement worth £410,000 to £415,000 after finishing his "fixed-term" appointment.

The report said: "David Flory received a termination payment within the band £410,000-£415,000 in accordance with a settlement agreement agreed on completion of a fixed-term appointment set out in 2012."

When Mr Flory stood down, Mr Hunt said: "I have immensely valued David's wise counsel, advice and judgment, and in particular his ability to find solutions to problems that often appear intractable.

"But most of all I have come to admire the values that lie underneath that ability: a real commitment to doing the right thing for patients and safer, more compassionate care."

Unite union national officer for health Barrie Brown said the pay-off was another reward for failure "that sickens the public".

He added: "Legislation before MPs aims to cap all public sector pay-offs at £95,000 before Christmas - David Flory's pay-off is four times that amount.

"The question has to be asked - how many more public sector bosses are going to sneak under the wire with outrageous pay-offs before the legislation comes into force?

"The public sector bosses leaving before the cap is introduced could be likened to Gaderene swine rushing headlong into a sea of cash.

"The rationale for such a pay-off is a mystery at a time when the NHS is faced with very real cuts to budgets and services. Perhaps Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt could shed some light on this pay-off?"