§ Mr. StringerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total cost of severance and redundancy payments to employees of the Bury health care, North Manchester health care, and Oldham and Rochdale NHS trusts on the formation of the Pennine Acute hospitals trust. [82972]
§ Jacqui SmithPennine Acute hospitals national health service trust was established on 1 April 2002, following the dissolution of Bury health care, North Manchester health care, Oldham and Rochdale health care NHS trusts. The new trust inherited 22 directors, eight of whom have been, or will be, made redundant.
The total cost of their severance packages is £1,758,617. The directors have not received this sum of money collectively; the figures represent the cost to their employers and include the capitalized costs of early retirement pensions as well as redundancy payments.
The severance packages have all been approved by the appropriate remuneration committees and signed off by the trusts' external auditors.