A recent story in the press about the pay of an interim manager at the NHS Trust at Dorset County Hospital has caused the Interim Management Association to highlight the value of these highly skilled, expert flexible workers.
The interim manager in question is one Derek Smith; the hospital’s acting chief executive. He was paid £248,041 for 97 days work and received an extra £19,539 in travel and subsistence allowances.
Dr Jeffrey Ellwood, the chairman of the trust defended the action saying that they faced a deficit of £7.4 million and had no feasible plan in place to save the £27.5 million it needs to save over the coming three years.
The Trust also employed other interim workers and limited company contractors, such as an Interim Director of Finance [total £238,861 for 158 days work] and an Interim HR Director [£119,531 for 174 days].
Paul Botting, the chairman of the IMA, said that it can be extremely difficult to get the right person into a senior interim position and yet finding the right fit can make all the difference between success and failure. The right person can save millions for an organisation and save it from almost certain disaster.
He believes that public bodies have to appreciate the benefits that can be gained from utilising different resourcing models such as interim and contract workers.
However, the grassroots manager of the Taxpayers Alliance, Fiona Mc Evoy, believes differently. She pointed out that this huge salary was taking away funds that should be paying for medicine, operations and vital frontline staff.
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