Union fury at health chiefs for advertising £95,000 a year job

The move comes shortly after the Daily Echo revealed the hospital was making nurses redundant to save cash. And the new personnel boss will be paid £20,000 more than the last person to be appointed.

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust faces an uphill battle to reduce a predicted £14m deficit with staff redundancies and ward closures.

Now union leaders say its decision to re-advertise for a highly paid director of human resources is a further kick in the teeth.

Mandy Weldon, UNISON Southampton health branch secretary, said: "We are disappointed and upset at how insensitive the trust has been in advertising this salary, in light of their well publicised financial recovery plan, which has included ward closures and redundancies. This has had an impact on staff and, importantly, patients."

Nurse Iris Read, 61, who has just retired after 20 years at the Royal South Hants Hospital, said: "It is very insensitive timing.

"The way things have been dealt with, a back street factory could have done much better."

Trust bosses re-advertised for a HR director after failing to find a suitable candidate last year.

The post, advertised in a national newspaper, is described as an outstanding opportunity for an exceptional individual.

With a workforce of 8,000, the role is one of the biggest personnel management jobs in the NHS.

The trust's previous HR boss started on a salary of £75,000 four years ago - but the new recruit could earn up to £20,000 more.

Trust spokesman Peter Campion today defended the job advertisement, saying it was crucial that the organisation found the right person for the post.

He said: "Because of all the changes going on here, it is all the more important that we have the best HR leadership.

"The salary that is available is what we have to offer in order to attract suitably qualified candidates."

It is hoped a permanent post holder can be in place soon after the start of the new financial year.

All applications are being handled by an agency in London.

Union spokesman Claire Critchley, chairman of Southampton University Hospitals Trust staff side, said: "We all know that we need a permanent HR director, even in the current climate. It is something we have to accept."

Southampton Test MP Alan Whitehead hoped the important role could be filled sooner rather than later.

"Having a permanent director of human resources could and should put a human resources policy on a long-term footing, and I believe that is exactly what is needed," he said.

Elaine Byrne, the trust's pay and benefits manager, has served as acting director of human resources since August last year.

The prestigious post was filled previously by Alison Rayner who joined the NHS in 1988. She came to Southampton as HR director in November 2001.

She left last summer to take up a new post at NHS Direct.

TROUBLED Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust is expected to be £14m in the red at the end of next month.

An ambitious plan to save £15m was drawn up last year under the then chief executive David Moss.

But figures discussed by the trust board last month showed savings of only £12m had been made.

Meanwhile, the trust, which runs Southampton General, the Royal South Hants and the Princess Anne hospitals, has agreed to axe up to 100 jobs as well as 85 hospital beds.

New chief executive Mark Hackett, 41, has faced a stormy first six months in the post.

After taking up the £145,000 a year role in July to turn around the cash-strapped trust, it was revealed he had left his previous employers in financial crisis.

In December, an independent review criticised Mr Hackett for pursuing every opportunity to expand the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals Trust at the expense of balancing the books.

But last month colleagues renewed their confidence in him after an internal inquiry concluded neither he nor trust board members knew about the inquiry when he was appointed in Southampton.