Hospital boss takes £170,000 pay-off

Mark Rees was given the massive pay-off despite leaving Barking health trust amid claims of weak leadership.

It came weeks after his partner, Rose Gibb, had a similar pay-off blocked by the Government.

During Mr Rees' time in charge of Barking Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust, maternity services were classed as "high risk" last year and mortality rates were higher than expected.

A mother had to give birth to her premature stillborn baby in a Queen's Hospital lavatory in February because no trained staff were available.

Barking has so far refused to reveal details of Mr Rees's severance package, claiming confidentiality.

But an Evening Standard request for details under the Freedom of Information Act revealed bosses approved a £170,000 pay-off to Mr Rees last month.

In October, his partner Ms Gibb quit after 90 patients died in a hygiene scandal at her Maidstone trust. Her pay-off is being blocked by the Health Secretary.

Ilford North MP Lee Scott said: "This is utterly bizarre. We are saying that you, as a leader, can get lousy results and still get a massive reward from public funds. This is taxpayers' money and it borders on obscenity."

Mr Rees led the trust, which runs King George Hospital in Ilford, Queen's Hospital in Romford and Barking Hospital, for four years before his resignation on 1 October. He slashed more than 600 jobs and closed 190 beds last year in a bid to get back in the black but debts doubled to more than £30million between April and October. Area bosses were heavily criticised at the time for trying to overhaul services based on "sketchy plans".

Insiders say Mr Rees's position was untenable and claim it is cheaper to agree a pay-off with NHS executives than force them to go.

But Malcolm Alexander, chairman of the National Association of Patient Forums, said: "At a time when there are threats to health services across London, it is a scandal that Mark Rees has been given such a big payout."

Mr Rees, who lives in a £700,000 house near Cobham, Kent, with Ms Gibb and their children, was previously head of the now-bankrupt Bromley Hospitals trust.

He was the highest-paid NHS executive in 1996, on more than £100,000 a year. In his last post his salary was £150,000.

Barking hospital trust declined to comment on the payout, as did Mr Rees.

A statement from NHS London said he would receive £127,500 for nine months' pay in lieu of notice period and £42,500 for "loss of office".