Fury as health chiefs offer £115k-a-year for ‘absurd’ management job amid nurses strike

Health chiefs are under fire for offering a six-figure salary for an “absurd” management job.

Cash-strapped nurses hit pickets in sub-zero temperatures yesterday in a desperate bid for a pay rise.

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But one lucky job hunter will make £115,000 a year to become a Director of Lived Experience in Stafford.

A confusing job description is looking for a “interpersonally talented and strategic bridge builder”.

The jargon-filled ad, posted by the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, is a tedious 1,300 words long.

The Trust runs community nursing and psychiatric services in Staffordshire.

It states: “The aim is that this post should provide guidance for the practice of lived experience; Bring the experiential perspective to Trust Board decision-making and facilitate the cultural shifts needed to incorporate and disseminate best practices around shared decision-making.”

Candidates must have had a “life-changing” medical condition and be able to talk about “significant power imbalances” they have seen in their treatment.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers are fed up with NHS non-jobs.

“Patients’ ‘lived experience’ is a collapsing service despite rising spending.

“Time for health chiefs to focus resources on the front lines.”

TalkTV’s Isabel Oakeshott added, “We could eliminate all these ridiculous non-jobs and pay frontline workers decently.”

The NHS says staff with “lived experience” advise managers and medics from a patient’s perspective.

A director would represent her at board meetings.

The NHS already has at least 2,056 fat cats earning six-figure salaries in management jobs.

Last year’s top earner took home almost £300,000 in taxpayer money – almost double the Prime Minister’s salary, according to The Telegraph.

The average NHS nurse earns £33,384 a year and tens of thousands are now striking to better this year’s offer of a £1,400 pay rise.

Neil Carr, CEO of Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “MPFT has been at the forefront of using the experience of people who use our services to improve them for almost 10 years.

“National guidance recommends the appointment of a patient director who is responsible for raising the profile of the service user voice in the planning, implementation and oversight of shared decision-making.

“We are proud to continue our tradition of co-production.”