According to findings from the Incomes Data Services, last year NHS chiefs received average pay rises of 7% compared with a 2.2% target set by the Department of Health.
The pay increases for NHS trust chief executives comes on top of a 6.4% rise in 2007/08. The Government recently announced senior public-sector workers would have their pay frozen this year.
According to the IDS research, the median salary for a chief executive of a NHS foundation trust stood at £157,500 for the year to March 2009, compared with £147,500 for a chief executive of a non-foundation NHS trust.
Steve Tatton, editor of the IDS NHS Boardroom Pay Report 2010, comments: "Our annual survey of NHS boardroom remuneration will not make comfortable reading for those wishing to see those at the top of the service leading from the front on wage restraint."
"These are undoubtedly testing times for those making decisions about how much to pay NHS chiefs, balancing recruitment and motivation against the need to keep tight control of the public purse, but it seems that the equation has fallen on the side of high salary awards with pay continuing to run ahead of the rest of the workforce."
Commenting on the survey, Mike Jackson, Unison senior national officer, said: ?"It is right that senior managers in the NHS get paid a decent wage.
"Running a hospital is a tough and very responsible job, and without competitive pay rates, hospitals will not be able to attract the right calibre of staff.
"But it is not right for senior staff to get above-inflation pay hikes, while the rest of the workforce get a below-inflation pay deal.
"This survey shows that foundation trust hospitals are using their autonomy to boost boardroom pay. This comes at the same time as many foundation trusts are found to be failing patients, not delivering better standards of care.
"Foundation trusts also have a higher number of senior staff working on temporary contracts. Payment by results is clearly creating financial uncertainty for foundation trusts."
