An annual report from East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Conquest and Eastbourne DGH, revealed that the organisation's medical director Dr David Scott took home £343,900 for the last financial year.

He earned a salary of at least £100,000, benefits of £390 and 'other remuneration' of £240,000 to £245,000 in 2007/08.

Dr Scott was paid £240,000 this year to cover what he was owed from the last five years.

But even without the full amount owed to him, records show his pay packets from 2002/03 to 2006/07 each included at least £55,000 of contract payments.

Dr Scott has been a consultant for 25 years and a medical director for 12, previously performing the role at Hastings and Rother NHS Trust.

The trust has 169 consultants, 94 per cent of whom are on the new contract, but Dr Scott's wages are published for the public to see because he sits on the trust's board of directors and senior managers.

The trust finances also showed Dr Scott's pension pot had a cash equivalent transfer value of £1,023,000, having risen by £398,000 from last year.

Margaret Williams, chairman of Hands off the Conquest, said: "It's disgusting because that money could be used for patients and the NHS. Why does he earn so much?

"This needs looking into. It's disgraceful that one individual is paid so much money. He actually gets more than the chief executive."

Hastings MP Michael Foster said he intented to write to the trust demanding a reason for the high salary.

He said: "It's right he (Dr Scott) should be properly remunerated but it does seem an incredibly high amount of money. We need to see how much he earns compared to other consultants.

"We need these people running our hospital trust but they are earning more than the Prime Minister of Great Britain."

A trust spokesman said the £240,000 figure was made up of Dr Scott's annual earnings under a consultants' contract introduced in 2003, plus five years of back pay, delayed while a job plan was agreed for his two roles as clinical consultant and medical director.

The trust spokesman said his pay was in line with government guidelines. The amount received depends on salary and how long an employee has been in the post.

Judith Clabby, director of corporate services, said: "This payment relates to the implementation of the new national consultants' contract introduced in 2003 and is a contractual entitlement.

"The payment is under Dr Scott's consultant's contract as a consultant paediatrician and does not relate to his post as medical director."