UK NHS senior managers earn more than Prime Minister

A Taxpayers' Alliance report shows that 574 senior NHS managers in the United Kingdom receive salaries higher than the Prime Minister’s £172,153 entitlement for 2024‑25, marking a 12 % year‑on‑year increase. Overall, nearly 600 senior NHS executives earned base pay above £182,000, with 292 receiving remuneration of at least £300,000.

The highest‑paid Welsh health board chief, Carol Shillabeer of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, earned £262,500 in 2024‑25 despite the board’s poor performance on waiting‑time targets. Other senior executives, such as Emma Cooke at Cardiff and Vale and former Hywel Dda chief Mark Henwood, also appeared among the top earners.

Labour’s newly appointed Health Secretary Yvette Cooper and opposition shadow health minister Stuart Andrew have called for a stronger link between NHS executive pay and patient outcomes, warning that high bonuses contrast with persistent long waiting lists. The findings arrive as the government faces pressure to address staffing and service delivery challenges while controlling public‑sector spending.