NHS bosses received inflation-busting pay rises last year and one in three now earns in excess of �100,000 annually, a report reveals.

Researchers have found that as many as half of trust chief executives may have received double-figure percentage increases in the past 12 months.

One in four could have seen their pay jump by at least 20%.

Top payers

1. Guy's and St Thomas' �171,000 2. University College London �150,000 3. Leeds Teaching Hospitals �147,500 4. Cardiff and Vale �147,500 5. Brighton Healthcare �145,000

Analysts at Incomes Data Services say they are unable to produce precise figures because trusts are failing to disclose how much they pay senior executives.

The Department of Health said it was in favour of making salaries public and was seeking legal advice on the matter.

One in four trust chief executives earned six figure salaries at the end of March 2001.

This latest report suggests this had increased to one in three just 12 months later.

High pay

According to the report, the average salary of NHS trust chief executives was �92,500 in March 2002.

However, some bosses were earning substantially more.

According to analysts, the highest paid boss was the chief executive of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust in London, who earned �171,000.

Other top earners were the chief executive of University College London who earned �150,000 and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust who earned �147,500.

The chief executive of Warwickshire Ambulance Service was the lowest paid boss, earning �42,500.

However, the analysts said changes in accounting procedures meant trusts are no longer obliged to give precise figures for the amount they pay chief executives.

Those who are paid from the public purse should expect to be completely open and transparent about how much they are paid Department of Health spokesman

Instead, information on salaries is presented in �5,000 bands in line with current practice in the private sector.

In addition, many executives are using provisions in the Data Protection Act to withhold information about their salaries.

A total of 190 executive directors from hospital trusts and 17 from primary care trusts moved to stop their salaries being made public.

The figures come as more than one million NHS workers consider whether to accept a new pay deal which will see salaries increase by at least 10% over the next three years. Last year, nurses were awarded a 3.7% pay rise.

Ministers have consistently said they do not want the extra billions promised for the NHS over the next few years to be swallowed up by higher salaries.

The Department of Health said it was in favour of ensuring information on NHS salaries was in the public domain.

A spokesman said: "It is a matter of principle that those who are paid from the public purse should expect to be completely open and transparent about how much they are paid - and all NHS managers should act accordingly. That's why we're seeking further legal guidance on these issues."

Disclose salaries

Shadow Health Secretary Liam Fox called on NHS trusts to be forced to reveal the salaries of executives.

"The wages of public servants should be a matter of public record. Attempting to hide the truth is a disgrace.

"To add insult to injury, these rises are scandalously high compared to those which doctors, nurses and health care professionals receive."

Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents health service managers, also supported making salaries public.

"We believe that transparency in senior management pay is an important principle. The NHS has nothing to hide," she said.

Dr Morgan also defended the size of salaries.

"These figures show pay levels reflect the management challenges faced by trusts.

"It should not be forgotten that public sector managers are paid, on average, less than a quarter of the amount earned by their counterparts in the private sector.

"We need to attract and retain chief executives and senior managers of high calibre and these salaries are in line with those of other public sector bodies."