'I want money spent on patients': Health minister to intervene as cash-strapped NHS offers £115k for diversity chief

20 December 2022, 09:44

A health minister has pledged to examine whether the cash-strapped NHS needs to be paying £100,000 to diversity managers as the service is plunged into crisis.

There has been anger at the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust offering £115,000 for a "director for lived experience" who is "interpersonally talented" and a "strategic bridge builder".

Critics of the health service's recruitment have branded roles like that as "non jobs" at a time when the Government insists there is not enough money to offer big pay rises to striking nurses and ambulance workers.

Nurses walked out on Tuesday while Steve Barclay, the health secretary, is hoping 11th hour talks could avert ambulance staff from striking on Wednesday.

Read more: Soldiers driving ambulances 'can't run red lights because it would break the law' during strikes, minister claims

Pushed on the advert by LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Will Quince, the health minister, said: "One of the things we do need to tackle, and I'm not justifying that particular role, I haven't seen the exact job spec - we do have to tackle recruitment, and importantly retention.

"We do know that there are problems around retention, we know there are problems with bullying, harassment, and indeed racism within our NHS.

"I would still question whether you need a manager on over £100,000 to undertake that role so I will look at that very closely.

"Ultimately, they are decisions for individual trusts.

"I want to see NHS trust money being spent on patient care and roles that deliver that so it's important we question those roles where they don't stand the sniff test."