By Steve Nowottny
Almost 1,500 GPs are among thousands of public sector workers named as earning more than the Prime Minister, in a report published today.
Information gathered by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and BBC's Panorma using more than 2,400 Freedom of Information requests show that 9,187 public servants earn more than the £142,500 per year taken home by David Cameron - with the NHS singled out as the sector with the most highly-paid employees.
1,465 GPs were among nearly 6,500 NHS workers earning more than the PM, with a male GP from Hillingdon in west London identified as the highest-paid, with reported earnings of £475,500.
The figures for GPs were provided by PCTs based upon pay recorded in certificates of pensionable earnings, representing total pay from NHS sources.
This comes despite the latest pay figures released last week by the NHS Information Centre showing that the average GP income before tax fell for a third consecutive year in 2008/9 to £105,300. The proportion of gross earnings taken up by expenses also rose to 59.3%, up by 1.4 percentage points since 2007/8.
Top 10 GP earners1. Male £475,500 GP, Hillingdon PCT*
2. Unknown £475,000 GP, Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT*
3. Male £406,060 GP, Westminster PCT
4. Unknown £375,000 GP, Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT*
5. Male £329,735 GP, Hounslow
6. Unknown £325,000 GP, Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT*
7. Unknown £325,000 GP, Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT*
8. Unknown £309,636 GP, Rotherham
9. Male, £300,000 GP, Bradford & Airedale Teaching PCT*
10. Male £300,000 GP, Bradford & Airedale Teaching PCT*
*Figure taken from a mid-point in the pay bracket given
Source: FOI responses collated by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism
