Interim Health boss earning £27k per month

Monday 14 January 2019

The Interim Director General of Health is earning close to the annual salary of a health care assistant each month, it has emerged.

Anthony McKeever, who was appointed by new States Chief Charlie Parker as part of his ‘One Gov’ government restructuring plans, is earning £27,000 each month.

The figure, which came to light in a response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request published last week, puts Mr McKeever’s monthly salary around the same level as the yearly earnings of a hospital health care assistant, whose duties can include dressing, washing and toileting patients.

It also means his yearly earnings are ahead of CEO Charlie Parker, who earns £250,000 each year.

Pictured: The interim Director General appointments come as part of CEO Charlie Parker's 'One Gov' restructuring plans.

The figure, however, is not inclusive of any expenses or accommodation costs. 

Another FOI response showed that the total spent on senior (those earning over £100,000) interim employees brought in since Charlie Parker first joined the States in October 2017 now stand at over £3.31million, including expenses and accommodation.

And that number is set to rise even further. 

With over 30 new interim senior workers planned to join from December 2018 onwards, the FOI response said that the estimated monthly cost of employing them was now estimated to be £389,600. 

The new appointments span diverse areas of government, including Children’s Services, Finance, HR, Health and IT.

Pictured: Expenses and accommodation costs for senior interims joining in December or thereafter are estimated to be nearly £390,000 per month.

The news comes at a time when senior government employee salaries are facing their highest level of scrutiny in years after Mr Parker told public sector workers that “there is no more money” available to fund pay increases in line with rises in the cost of living.

Last week, members of nurses unions voted against what was described as the "final" pay offer from the States. 

"We are told we are valued, yet promises from previous pay rounds are forgotten and we never benefit from large pay awards... It is time to treat staff in a manner in which they can flourish; feeling valued in the work that they do," Alison Pell, Chair of the Jersey Nursing Association, commented at the time.

Having learned of the recent FOI revelations, many took to social media to protest what they deemed a “hypocritical” position given the interim workers’ salaries. 

Others will be taking concrete protest action by going on strike today and tomorrow.