NHS chiefs told to tighten up on tax

NHS bosses have been ordered to pay temporary managers through appropriate channels to tackle possible tax avoidance.

Interim senior staff should not be paid off-payroll, according to a letter leaked to the Health Service Journal.

The letter, written by NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson, says that in exceptional circumstances off-payroll payments may be used but only for a maximum of six months. If a temporary worker earning more than £220 a day is off the NHS payroll for more than six months, they will need to provide assurances that they pay income tax and national insurance.