NHS Tayside Lesley McLay boss 'received £90,000 payoff'

The former chief executive of a beleaguered health board is reported to have received a £90,000 payoff.

Lesley McLay and Sandy Watson

Lesley McLay left NHS Tayside last week after going on sick leave in April – the day after being told she could no longer continue in her role.

She was heavily criticised after it emerged the health board had used charity money to help fund routine services.

Earlier this week, Dundee MSP Jenny Marra said she believed the former chief executive had received a golden handshake of more than £300,000, but a spokeswoman for the health board said that was “categorically untrue”

Earlier this year it emerged NHS Tayside transferred £2.7 million from its endowment fund into core expenditure. More than £2m was spent on an IT system. A new chairman and chief executive were appointed to run NHS Tayside after the health board was put in “special measures” by the Scottish Government.

Ms Marra said any severance deal for Ms McLay raised questions for the government, which she said would be required to sign off on the deal.

According to the BBC, NHS Tayside Chairman John Brown has now written to Ms Marra with details of the payments given to Ms McLay.