Hospital chief executives have received pay rises two to five times bigger than those of other NHS staff last year, it has been revealed.

The move comes despite hospital boards being told that senior managers' pay should not rise by more than the 3.7 per cent increase for the NHS as a whole,

The Department of Health said: "It is a matter of principle that those who are paid from the public purse should expect to be completely open and transparent about how much they are paid - and all NHS managers should act accordingly."