I'm just a passenger: Dr Anthony Marsh is reported to have racked up £20,800 a year on VIP transport between his offices – averaging out at £400 a week . An NHS Ambulance boss earning almost a quarter of a million a year is also spending thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ cash on chauffeur-driven rides to work, it has emerged. Dr Anthony Marsh is reported to have racked up £20,800 a year on VIP transport between his offices – averaging out at £400 a week. He is paid £232,000 a year — £90,000 more than the Prime Minister — to run both the West Midlands and East of England Ambulance services, and has been described as the ‘highest paid public servant you’ve never heard of.’ For the West Midlands service (WMAS), which has been fined £2.6million for missing targets and which Dr Marsh has led since 2006, he drives a company car - a 2012 silver Range Rover Sport. But since the beginning of this year, he has also worked three days a week for the East of England service (EEAS). It is understood he cannot drive himself the 154 miles between the two bases himself because he works during the journey. A Mercedes picks him up at his home in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, and takes him on a three-hour journey to his office in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. He stays in hotels twice a week on average — costing around £80 a time, or £8,320 a year. Last week, Dr Marsh was criticised after it was revealed his annual pay rose by £50,000 this year. His total remuneration amounts to £275,298 with benefits including a £9,400 allowance for the Range Rover and his £33,672 pension. John O’Connell, director of The Taxpayers’ Alliance said: ‘This is a crazy amount of money to be wasting when the NHS can’t afford to.’ Joyce Robbins, of Patient Concern, added: ‘It smacks of a different age.’ It comes just three months after WMAS was fined £2.6million for missing government targets for attending 75 per cent of emergencies within eight minutes. Meanwhile EEAS has reached just 73.6 per cent of the most critical ‘Red 1’ calls between April 2013 and March 2014. In addition, it has been told to make £50million savings by 2017. Fast, but not fast enough... Both the West Midlands Ambulance Service and the East of England Ambulance Service have failed to meet targets for attending 75 per cent of emergency call-outs within eight minutes . Commuting in style: Dr Marsh's chauffeur-driven Mercedes takes him on a three-hour journey from his home in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, to his office in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. He can't drive himself because he is working . Dr Marsh was brought in to oversee EEAS after criticising its failings in a report. The service says Dr Marsh has put in plans so its targets are met. A spokesman said his joint role saves £130,000 across both trusts and he oversees 9,000 staff covering 12,000 square miles. He has helped make £6million savings which was funding 400 staff, 147 ambulances and over 60 rapid response vehicles. The spokesman added: ‘The organisation has turned a corner thanks to Mr Marsh’s actions.’ When Dr Marsh’s salary package was revealed earlier this year, Labour MP Tom Watson called for ‘more scrutiny’ and asked whether he was the ‘highest paid public servant you’ve never heard of.’
NHS spends £400 a week on VIP transport for Dr Anthony Marsh .
He heads both West Midlands and East of England Ambulance Services .
Austerity-stricken organisations have been told to make big savings .
But Dr Marsh nevertheless racks up another £8,000 a year on hotel bills .
I'm just a passenger: Dr Anthony Marsh is reported to have racked up £20,800 a year on VIP transport between his offices – averaging out at £400 a week . An NHS Ambulance boss earning almost a quarter of a million a year is also spending thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ cash on chauffeur-driven rides to work, it has emerged. Dr Anthony Marsh is reported to have racked up £20,800 a year on VIP transport between his offices – averaging out at £400 a week. He is paid £232,000 a year — £90,000 more than the Prime Minister — to run both the West Midlands and East of England Ambulance services, and has been described as the ‘highest paid public servant you’ve never heard of.’ For the West Midlands service (WMAS), which has been fined £2.6million for missing targets and which Dr Marsh has led since 2006, he drives a company car - a 2012 silver Range Rover Sport. But since the beginning of this year, he has also worked three days a week for the East of England service (EEAS). It is understood he cannot drive himself the 154 miles between the two bases himself because he works during the journey. A Mercedes picks him up at his home in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, and takes him on a three-hour journey to his office in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. He stays in hotels twice a week on average — costing around £80 a time, or £8,320 a year. Last week, Dr Marsh was criticised after it was revealed his annual pay rose by £50,000 this year. His total remuneration amounts to £275,298 with benefits including a £9,400 allowance for the Range Rover and his £33,672 pension. John O’Connell, director of The Taxpayers’ Alliance said: ‘This is a crazy amount of money to be wasting when the NHS can’t afford to.’ Joyce Robbins, of Patient Concern, added: ‘It smacks of a different age.’ It comes just three months after WMAS was fined £2.6million for missing government targets for attending 75 per cent of emergencies within eight minutes. Meanwhile EEAS has reached just 73.6 per cent of the most critical ‘Red 1’ calls between April 2013 and March 2014. In addition, it has been told to make £50million savings by 2017. Fast, but not fast enough... Both the West Midlands Ambulance Service and the East of England Ambulance Service have failed to meet targets for attending 75 per cent of emergency call-outs within eight minutes . Commuting in style: Dr Marsh's chauffeur-driven Mercedes takes him on a three-hour journey from his home in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, to his office in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. He can't drive himself because he is working . Dr Marsh was brought in to oversee EEAS after criticising its failings in a report. The service says Dr Marsh has put in plans so its targets are met. A spokesman said his joint role saves £130,000 across both trusts and he oversees 9,000 staff covering 12,000 square miles. He has helped make £6million savings which was funding 400 staff, 147 ambulances and over 60 rapid response vehicles. The spokesman added: ‘The organisation has turned a corner thanks to Mr Marsh’s actions.’ When Dr Marsh’s salary package was revealed earlier this year, Labour MP Tom Watson called for ‘more scrutiny’ and asked whether he was the ‘highest paid public servant you’ve never heard of.’
to have racked up £20,800 a year on VIP transport Dr Anthony Marsh is reported to have racked up offices – averaging out at £400 a week. He is Prime Minister — to run both the West Midlands and East of England Ambulance services, and has been told to make £50million savings by 2017.