Chiefs’ £416k pay row for 999 overtime

A CRISIS-hit ambulance trust has paid out £416,208 in overtime to managers.

Bosses at East of England Trust, who earn between £60,000 and £80,000 a year, got extra despite national terms which say they are not eligible for overtime.

Frontline staff have been ordered to reduce overtime to keep within budget.

One worker said: “It’s another example of financial mismanagement and managers feathering their own nest, rather than looking after their staff.”

The trust, serving East Anglia, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, fell below 999 call-out standards over the last year.

A spokesman said unions agreed to staff being paid for overtime instead of time off in lieu.