THE cash strapped trust running Kidderminster Hospital is under fire after it emerged it paid a hospital boss a six figure sum, despite him being off work for three years.

Stewart Messer has been absent from his role as chief operating officer at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (WAHT) since May 2015 - but has been paid more than £660,000 since then, including an exit package of more than £200,000. He left the trust in February.

The hospital trust has also had to fork out around £500,000 on three interim directors to cover his absence.

The trust, which runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Redditch's Alexandra Hospital, has had financial pressures for a while - with a deficit of more than £25 million, and being £4.8 million over budget last year, which was attributed to an increase in admissions to the hospitals.

Redditch's MP Rachel Maclean said she was in "complete shock" and that this must not be allowed to happen again.

"This really is an absolute disgrace," she said.

A spokesperson for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We have fulfilled our legal obligation to publish information regarding the remuneration of Mr Messer up until he left the employment of the trust, as well as details of all exit packages agreed during the year.

"For legal reasons we are unable to comment any further.”