Governors of Bradford Teaching Hospitals have awarded the Trust's chairman and non-executive directors a combined pay rise of £45,278 a year.

Chairman David Richardson will see his salary go from £31,260 to £50,000 a year for working ten days a month.

Non-executive directors see their wages increase from £9,077 to £12,500 a year for a commitment to work four days a month, with the vice-chairman and the chairman of the audit committee rising to £15,500 a year because of their extra responsibilities.

A cost of living increase will also be awarded annually and the payments will be reviewed in three years.

The new recommendations were drawn up by a working group, which reviewed information from the NHS Foundation Trust Network on suggested pay bands - between £35,000 and £60,000 for the chairman, £11,000 to £14,000 for a non-executive director and between £14,000 and £17,000 for the audit committee chairman and deputy chairman.

The proposed increases were presented to a board of governors meeting held at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The item was presided over by vice-chairman Nora Whitham, in the absence of Mr Richardson, who took no part in the decision.

Concern was raised from some governors on how the increases would be viewed by NHS staff and the public.

A proposal to backdate the awards to April 1 to reflect the achievements of the Trust was rejected and it was agreed the increases should only be backdated to November 1.

A spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospitals said: "The Board took the decision to increase the remuneration of the chairman and non-executive directors based on two principles - that this was within the guidance set by the Foundation Trust Network and there had been no increase since 1992."

e-mail: claire.lomax@bradford.newsquest.co.uk