MP Mike Penning has condemned the “astounding” salary paid by the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust to its chief executive.

Mr Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead, has roundly condemned the combined £308,000 package paid to the Jan Filochowski – credited by some with turning around its fortunes since taking over on a temporary basis two years ago.

Mr Penning said: “This is not a personal attack on Mr Filochowski, but I am astounded that any civil servant is earning such a large sum of money – especially when services are being cut back and facilities closed down.

“At a time when the hospitals were being told to save on replacement light bulbs, it beggars belief that they were paying such a large sum for a chief executive.

“To be honest, it confirms all our worst fears about the NHS. Too much money being spent at the top – and not enough filtering down to those hardworking doctors and nurses in the front line.”

Mr Filochowski, a man with a record of turning around failing health trusts, was appointed in November 2007 as a so-called “Mr Fix-it".

His position was made permanent in August.

The trust has, so far, refused to be drawn on Mr Penning’s comments.