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The 600,000 NHS goodbye

PAY OFF: Director of Public Health Nicholas Hicks allegedly negotiated his own departure from his 240,000 a year position at the NHS

by sally murrer

sally.murrer@jpress.co.uk 01908 651309|@citizen_Sally

Director of Public Health Nicholas Hicks allegedly negotiated his own departure from his 240,000 a year position at the NHS a few weeks ago. The goodbye package, according to Citizen sources, was two and a half times his annual salary. Ironically, Mr Hicks exit caused a sigh of relief at Milton Keynes Council oces a few miles away. For new legislation means

The man responsible for the health of every person in the city has pocketed a 600,000 pay-o after leaving his job, it has been claimed.

thepublichealthpostbecame thesoleresponsibiltyofthelocal authority from April 1. Itis understoodcouncil of-

cers had baulked at paying a salaryalmost100,000higher thanthatoftheirownchiefexecutive David Hill. Theyfeareditwouldleadto a series of equal pay demands from other council directors. Its not an affordable amount for a council. NHS pay scales for directors and executivesarejustcrazymoney compared to the hands-on nursingsta,saidonesource. Mr Hicks was also chief executive of the citys Primary Care Trust, which, under the samenewApril1legislation,is now an NHS clinical commissioning Group. It is not known whether he hasfoundanewjobelsewhere. Meanwhile Milton Keynes Council has found a temporary but thrifty solution to its problem of employing a new Director of Public Health.

It is sharing one director, Muriel Scott, with two other localauthorities,CentralBedfordshireCouncilandBedford Borough Council. A spokesman for the Department of Health, speaking on behalf of the now defunct MiltonKeynesPCT,said:NHS redundancy arrangements have been agreed with NHS trade unions. Stawhoaremaderedundant are entitled to a payment ofonemonthssalaryforevery year of reckonable service up to a maximum of 24 months pay. NHS redundancy payments are, therefore, calculated on length of service and salary at the time of redundancy. The spokesman was unabletoconrmordenythesum given to Mr Hicks.

Tory sees red over ag

A leading city Conservative has branded the councils chief executive a wimp in a Flag-gate protest following the death of Margaret Thatcher. Andy Dranseld was happy when the civic oce ag was lowered to half mast on Monday, the day Mrs Thatcher died. But he was furious when it was raised to full mast the following day. Such a magnicent lady deserves more respect than that. We should have kept the ag at half mast for at least two days, he said. Mr Dranseld, who has vowed to wear a black tie for the next month, complained to chief executive David Hill and was told a two-day ag lowering was against ocial protocol. I knew he was wrong, so I said I wouldnt attend any more meetings with him, he told the Citizen. Hours later Mr Dranseld received a written apology from Mr Hill, who had checked with the College of Arms and discovered the councillor was correct. Mr Dranseld said: The chief executive was being a wimp unlike Mrs Thatcher who was transformational when Britain was down and out.

>MargaretThatchersaved OU, see page 7.

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