The health trust that manages Central Middlesex and Northwick Park Hospitals had one of the highest earning chief executives in London last year, it has been claim.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Central Middlesex Hospital lost its A&E unit last SeptemberCentral Middlesex Hospital lost its A&E unit last September (Image: Archant)

David McVittie, who led North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, has been named as the boss on the fifth highest wage in 2014/15.

With an annual salary of £270,000 he earned £127,500 more than Prime Minister David Cameron.

He left his role in March this year, five months after overseeing a merger between his trust and its neighbour in Ealing to form the London North West Healthcare NHS Trust – one of the largest in the country.

Mr McVittie also managed the closure of the Central Middlesex Hospital’s A&E department in September last year as part the controversial ‘Shaping a Healthier Future programme’ which also resulted in Hammersmith Hospital losing it’s casualty department and more recently the axing of the maternity unit in Ealing Hospital.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Northwick Park Hospital is in Watford RoadNorthwick Park Hospital is in Watford Road (Image: Archant)

Last April the health chief, who held the role for three years, candidly admitted he had let patients down over the trust’s failure to hit waiting time targets for minor procedures.

In a separate interview he also said that the closure of CMH’s A&E unit in Acton Lane, Harlesden, could cause problem for the casualty department at Northwick Park Hospital in Watford Road, Harlesden.

His predication came true with NHP consistently failing to hit A&E waiting time targets resulting in an investigation by NHS England.

A new £21million A&E unit has since opened in NHP and the waiting times have improved.

Dame Jacqueline Docherty, a former nurse, has taken over Mr McVittie’s position.

According to the Evening Standard, who obtained the figures, Tracey Batten, chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare chief executive, is the highest paid in the city with an annual salary of £342,500 - including a one-off £49,860 to aid her move from Australia.

The figures exclude any pension contributions.

A spokeswoman for London North West Healthcare NHS Trust said: “David McVittie’s salary for the financial year 2014/15 reflects that he was chief executive for two organisations, Ealing Hospital NHS Trust and The North West London Hospitals NHS Trust during this time.

“He led the merger of these two organisations, creating London North West Healthcare NHS Trust in October 2014.

“We are now one of the largest integrated care trusts in the country, looking after a patient population of 850,000 from both hospital and community services in Brent, Ealing and Harrow.”