Massive pay rises for executives at one of the region’s NHS trusts have been branded “deeply unfair” as �20 million cuts are announced.

Executive directors at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust enjoyed salary increases of up to 24 per cent last year, according to its latest annual report.

Chief executive Karen Bell’s pay rose by �18,311 in 2009-10 to �171,923, an increase of 11.9 per cent.

Finance director Jenny Raine’s salary rose by �20,905 to �127,744, up 19.5 per cent, and human resources director David Wherrett’s �18,116 rise put him on �119,293 – up 17.9 per cent.

Six trust directors earn �100,000 or more, with nursing director Tim Bryson collecting �99,961.

News of the pay rises came as the trust, which supervises an annual budget of �150 million, said it needed to find �20 milllion of savings, trimming its budget by 17.6 per cent.

But the pay rises were branded “deeply unfair” by Councillor Geoff Heathcock, chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council’s health scrutiny committee.

This follows revelations on BBC’s Panorama that more than 38,000 public sector employees earn more than �100,000 a year, and 9,000 earn more than the �142,500 paid to the Prime Minister.

In our region, Joanna Killian picked up �277,772 as chief executive of Essex County Council, and Suffolk County Council chief executive Andrea Hill received �220,000.