HEALTH Secretary Wes Streeting has told wasteful NHS bosses there is “nowhere to hide”.
It comes after league tables revealed three quarters of hospitals are in debt.
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Mr Streeting vowed a crackdown after rankings showed 99 out of 134 major NHS trusts in England are blowing budgets.
At least 38 fell to the sub-standard third or bottom fourth tier due to financial mismanagement.
They were relegated even if their medical care was good. In all 80 per cent of NHS hospitals were rated below standard.
Mr Streeting has refused to increase the £200billion health budget without tough reform.
Hospitals are estimated to have gone into the red by more than £600million last year.
That is while a record 2,600 bosses are paid over £110,000 a year, and some over £300,000.
Even chief executives at the ten worst-ranked hospitals are earning more than PM Sir Keir Starmer’s £172,000 salary.
Mr Streeting said: “Any football supporter will tell you the table doesn’t lie.
“Now there is nowhere for wasteful spenders to hide.”
He ordered hospitals to slash spending on agency staff and stop sending letters by post.
The NHS’s costly London HQ will close.
Bosses who cannot balance their books will also be denied pay rises and bonuses.
NHS England boss Sir Jim Mackey said tough measures are beginning to stem losses.
Think tank Policy Exchange said: “NHS bosses need to turn hospitals around, with their own jobs and bonuses on the line if they fail.”
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