Concern over £3m NHS payouts in East of England

NHS managers from the East of England who lost their jobs when the health service was reorganised have received millions of pounds in compensation.

Health minister and MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Dan Poulter described the payouts as "a waste of taxpayers money... that should have been spent on patients".

Until April this year there were 16 local primary care trusts. But the government said they were too bureaucratic. It has replaced them and the strategic health authority with the same number of GP-led clinical commissioning groups.

At least 15 local NHS managers each received payoffs of more than £100,000 in that reshuffle. In total around £3m was paid out by local health authorities.

Some of those made redundant, have gone on to get other management jobs within the NHS.