06.08.18
Former NHS CEO who left board after ‘financial chaos’ allegedly gets £300,000 pay-out
A former chief executive who has now left NHS Tayside allegedly received a pay-off of more than £300,000, an MSP has claimed.
Lesley McLay had her role as accountable officer removed in April after the cash-strapped board was plunged into controversy following the use of charity funds for general spending— however she remained on her salary until she left the board over the weekend.
Jenny Marra, Labour MSP and convener for Holyrood’s public audit committee, said she believes McLay’s pay-out reached over £300,000. But NHS Tayside said any claims of money received by Ms McLay were “categorically untrue.”
Marra told BBC Scotland: “Quite frankly I think this is a slap in the face for everyone working in NHS Tayside and for the people of Tayside.
“She presided over financial chaos in NHS Tayside and a real lack of leadership of staff and for patient care there as well.”
Last week the Scottish Government rejected concerns of plans to merge six NHS boards— one of which was NHS Tayside— in an effort to create savings in the area.
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “The claims made about any sum of money received by Ms McLay are categorically untrue.
“As with any NHS Tayside employee, Ms McLay received what she was contractually entitled to and nothing more upon leaving the organisation.”