Hospital bosses are coming under fire for their decision to give every full-time member of staff a £250 bonus.

East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Kent and Canterbury, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, William Harvey, Buckland and Royal Victoria hospitals, has saved over £20m this financial year and was allowed to retain £7.5m of its surplus.

£1.5m is being used to reward staff and £6m will be reinvested in services.

Shepway Lib Dem Leader, Lynne Beaumont, has said the money should have been used to employ more nursing staff and retaining the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Cllr Beaumont said: "The whole reason for closure of wards at the Royal Victoria was because there was no money and now we are told they are £7.5m under-spent.

"It is not a bad idea to reward staff, but they deserve far more than £250.

"The whole point is the budget is being mismanaged.

"That £1.5m could have provided more nursing staff in the front line and taken pressure off the people who have really worked their socks off in the last year.

"It is very odd and people are very angry."