HOSPITAL bosses have been accused of double standards over a planned £20,000 trip for senior staff while offering a 2 per cent pay rise for employees.

A five-day-trip to an exclusive hotel and golf club complex has been arranged for senior doctors, nurses and managers at Southend Hospital, which will cost around £100 a night per person.

The staff will discuss how to organise the hospital during its third phase of redevelopment work.

But union leaders have questioned why the plans could not be discussed in Southend.

Regional officer for Unison Nick Bradley said: "You have to ask why they can't just meet their staff in their own boardroom and save the money.

"How they can justify spending that sort of money for senior executives to have days away at a time they claim they need the resources for healthcare and are limiting staff to a 2 per cent pay rise?

"It's an incredible amount of money to spend for five days and would be better spent on patients or staff."

Fifty staff including senior doctors, senior nurses, senior health professional staff and managers are going to Wyboston Lakes, a hotel and residential conference venue in Bedfordshire.

It is costing the hospital trust £400 per person for the whole stay.

The hotel's website describes the complex as being set in 350 acres as "tranquil and distraction-free environment".

It goes on to say the hotel offers "first-rate accommodation with on-site golf and leisure facilities, superb cuisine".

John Gilham, hospital chief executive, said the exercise was very important and would involve intensive work on shaping the hospital over the next three years, including the redevelopment plans.

Mr Gilham said: "Agreeing with our senior clinical staff how this would best be organised to benefit patients is a complex piece of work which we need to get right.

We looked at a number of venues and chose the most appropriate and cost effective with the facilities we require."