NHS Grampian’s chief executive had the largest pension increase in the country, it has emerged.
Malcolm Wright had his pension pot boosted by £166,000 in 2015-16, figures have shown.
Mr Wright, who has been in the post since 2015, was among a number of health board bosses whose retirement cash was significantly increased.
This is in addition to his £170,000 salary.
It comes as the Scottish Government announced its annual health service pay deal, with a 1% cap imposed on wage rises for health staff for a fourth year in a row.
North-east MSP Ross Thomson said the increase raised “a number of concerns” about the board’s spending.
He said: “People across the Grampian area will rightfully be concerned by this.
“It raises a number of concerns about whether NHS Grampian’s resources are being best used.”
Mr Wright was hired in June 2015 following a six-month stint as the interim chief executive.
His appointment came at a time when the health board had been rocked by a number of high profile scandals.
In May of that year, Professor Zygmunt Krukowski – formerly the Queen’s surgeon in Scotland – was suspended from his high ranking role at NHS Grampian after a probe into his practices at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, following allegations surrounding his professional conduct.
But last September, at the end of an extensive investigation by the General Medical Council, he was among eight consultants who were cleared of any wrongdoing.
In January, he spoke for the first time since his suspension, where he criticised senior management at the board for failing to act on a damning report from Health Improvement Scotland more than two years before.
Last night, the health board said salaries and pensions were decided in Holyrood.
A spokeswoman said: “We are unable to comment specifically on the pay of specific individual staff members however the annual remuneration of executive members is determined by the Scottish Government under ministerial direction.”
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government spokesman said its pay policy was fair, sustainable and affordable.
He said: “The remuneration and pension arrangements of chairs and board members of NHS bodies is governed by the Public Sector Pay Policy for 2017-18.
“All directly employed NHS Scotland staff will receive at least a 1% uplift in pay. Our pay policy is fair, affordable, sustainable and helps to deliver top-class public services while protecting the lowest earners.”
