At least a dozen public servants in the West of England have commanded salaries higher than the Prime Minister in the last three years, published accounts show.

The officials hold roles with huge responsibility leading local authorities, emergency services and NHS bodies, and in turbulent times their work has never been more vital.

But with budgets being squeezed and wages for many frozen it is important that the sums are scrutinised.

Looking across the region, 67 top officers in the public sector were on six-figure wages, with another 16 costing taxpayers more than £100,000 when their pensions and other benefits are factored in.

As Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is on a salary of £161,000.

That pales in comparison to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston Trust medical director William Oldfield's wage in 2019/20. The trust's published accounts reveal he commanded the West of England's largest salary that year, £210-215,000, and got around £32,500 in his pension pot, taking his total cost to taxpayers to nearly a quarter of a million pounds.

The second highest paid officer at UHBW was chief executive Robert Woolley, on £170-175,000, who also got £55,000 in his pension, taking his total remuneration beyond £225,000.

That figure was down from £370,000 in 2018/19, when he was on a £240-245,000 salary and awarded £125,000 in pension-related benefits.

Mr Woolley was the joint chief exec of the Weston Area Health Trust before it merged with the University Hospital Bristol Trust in April last year. He is set to retire in March 2022 after a career in the NHS spanning more than 30 years.

Deputy chief exec and chief operating officer Mark Smith's banded salary of £160-165,000 in 2019/20 roughly matched the PM's, while four other senior managers were on more than £100,000.

The Royal College of Nursing has estimated that an average NHS nurse's pay is £33,384.

NHS staff in England will get a three per cent pay rise this year.

A UHBW Trust spokesperson said: "All senior leaders at the trust are paid according to their portfolio of responsibility and our remuneration, nominations and appointment committee decides the right level to recruit and retain the calibre of staff required."

Only a few local NHS bodies have published their accounts for 2020/21 so for consistency the 2019/20 figures are used here.

Royal United Hospital Trust

Close behind UHBW's Dr Oldfield was James Scott, the then chief executive at the RUH Trust in Bath, who boosted his £200,000 salary in 2019/20 with a bonus of more than £10,000.

His deputy, Libby Walters, who is also the finance director, got a £5-10,000 bonus on top of her £145-150,000 salary. She topped her pension pot up by more than £100,000, taking her total remuneration to £255,000, the largest sum for any senior officer at the trust that year.

Bernie Marden more than doubled his £60-65,000 salary as medical director with clinical duties that netted him a further £130-135,000, securing nearly £200,000 in total.

Three other officers at the trust were on more than £100,000 each.

An RUH spokesperson said: "All senior leaders at the trust are paid according to their portfolio of responsibility and our remuneration committee decides what is the right level to recruit and retain the calibre of staff needed, based upon the national NHS England framework for salaries."

North Bristol Trust

The NBT, which runs Southmead Hospital, had a trio of high earners on bigger wages than Mr Johnson.

Chief exec Andrea Young (who retired in December 2020) was the highest paid in 2019/20, on £190-195,000, medical director Chris Burton (who stepped down in July this year) was on £170-175,000 and chief operating officer and deputy chief exec Evelyn Barker's salary was £165-170,000.

Five others at the NBT were on wages in excess of £100,000.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "The salaries of our executive leadership team are calculated according to their experience and expertise, and enable us to attract and retain the highest calibre of people for these critical roles."

South Gloucestershire Council

Chief exec Dave Perry was the highest paid officer in a local authority, on a salary of £169,852, more than nine times that of the lowest paid employee. With an additional £35,839 towards his pension he cost taxpayers more than £205,000 last year.

Three department directors at the council were on salaries of more than £130,000.

A council spokesperson said it follows a transparent approach to pay, adding: "The salaries offered to our most senior staff do provide value for money.

"We have an experienced and stable leadership team who have coordinated and supported council staff at all levels during the pandemic to deliver essential services to our residents and businesses."

Bristol City Council

The council's accounts for 2020/21 reveal that three top officers – head of paid service Mike Jackson and executive directors Jacqui Jensen and Stephen Peacock – were all paid more than the PM, with matching salaries of £169,538. The latter two each also received £36,163 towards their pension, taking their total remuneration to £205,701 apiece.

Another four officers received salaries, fees and allowances of more than £100,000.

The council also paid six-figure sums to secure services from various individuals on an interim basis. Clean air zone communication and engagement director Nicki Beardmore cost taxpayers the most – some £218,000 – although the sum she received would have been lower.

A spokesperson said: "Salaries of the most senior officers at Bristol City Council are agreed by a cross party human resources committee.

"They reflect the roles and responsibilities of senior officers who lead a £1billion organisation with over 6,500 employees and responsible for running a city of half a million people, with 183,000 households and an economy worth over £14billion.

"To ensure our management structure remains efficient and value for money, the number of senior positions has been reduced over the past four years, which has saved the council over £1million a year."

Avon and Somerset Police

Last year the region's top police officer, former chief constable Andy Marsh, was paid a salary of £169,366, plus £11,128 in benefits in kind.

His total remuneration of £180,494 was lower than the sum for his then deputy, Sarah Crew, who, on a £136,303 salary plus pension payments and benefits in kind, cost taxpayers £185,932.

Following Mr Marsh's retirement in July, she is currently filling his shoes as the interim chief constable on the full £166,911 wage for the role, which will be paid pro-rata for the term of her appointment.

Six other high ranking officers in the force were paid more than £100,000 – roughly five times the £21,000 starting salary for new recruits who complete the police constable degree apprenticeship.

The police and crime commissioner's office was approached for comment.

Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group

The CCG commissions healthcare across much of the region.

According to its annual report, chief executive Julia Ross received a salary of £160-165,000 in 2019/20 – £20,000 more than in the previous year and roughly the same as Mr Johnson.

With another £225,000 paid towards her pension, Ms Ross cost taxpayers some £385,000 – more than any other public servant in the West of England that year.

Seven other senior managers at the CCG were on wages of £100,000 or more.

A BNSSG CCG spokesperson said: "All senior leaders at the CCG are paid according to their portfolio of responsibility. Our remuneration committee decides the right level to recruit and retain the calibre of staff required. Chief executive salaries are also approved by NHS England nationally."

West of England Combined Authority

Trailing behind the PM in salary terms on £160,352 was Weca chief exec Patricia Greer, who was owed a further £21,648 in pension contributions, taking her total remuneration to £182,000.

The regional body's director of infrastructure and director of investment and corporate skills were also paid upwards of £125,000.

A spokesperson for the authority said: "Weca has to offer competitive salaries in order to attract and retain talented people for senior roles that deliver important public services that benefit our region's residents.

"All senior salaries are independently evaluated through the Hay methodology, a well-known impartial job evaluation system used by many other public sector bodies. The combined authority is committed to providing value for money for taxpayers and publishes details of senior pay each year in the annual accounts.

"The establishment of Weca in 2017 has secured over £2billion for our region, which is being invested in things which make a difference to our residents – jobs, skills, businesses and transport."

North Somerset Council

Also just behind Mr Johnson, on £160,000, was North Somerset Council chief exec Jo Walker. She also saw her pension pot topped up by £39,600, taking her total remuneration in 2020/21 to just shy of £200,000.

The authority's directors of children's services, place and public health and the interim director of finance were all on salaries of more than £100,000.

Its pay policy says pay levels are benchmarked against other public sector organisations.

Bath and North East Somerset Council

Chief executive Will Godfrey was on a slightly more modest £151,000 salary and secured a further £31,000 towards his pension in 2020/21.

Six other top officers at the authority were on six-figure wages and each got more than £18,000 in their pension pots.

Deputy council leader Richard Samuel, the cabinet member for resources, said the remuneration for senior managers uses external advice, benchmarking and the Hay Job Evaluation scheme.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service

A trio of officers at AFRS were paid more than £100,000 in 2020/21.

Chief exec and chief fire officer Mick Crennell was the best paid, on a salary of £148,671, eight times more than the lowest paid employee and 4.6 times what a competent firefighter is paid. With benefits in kind and pension contributions he cost the public purse £212,428.

A spokesperson said Mr Crennell's remuneration is reviewed annually by the fire authority, which is made up of elected councillors.

"Since CFO Mick Crennell's appointment, the CFO salary was reduced to the average of the UK fire and rescue chief officers and has been that tracking ever since," she added.

"Also, since the CFO's appointment, our strategic officers have not made a local pay claim.

"The CFO has an annual performance appraisal with fire authority members where objectives are set, agreed and reported upon."

B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG

In 2019/20, BSW CCG chief executive Tracey Cox was paid between £140,000 and £145,000 when payments from other NHS bodies were factored in, up from £120,000 the year before – when she also received £190,000 towards her pension.

The CCG said the pay rise reflected Ms Cox's additional responsibilities – as well as being the chief exec for Bath and North East Somerset she took on the same role for Wiltshire.

Corinne Edwards, the chief operating officer for Bath and North East Somerset, was paid a £105,000 salary in 2019/20, with pension benefits coming in at more than £90,000.

Staff receive a pension based on their career earnings and a retirement lump sum.

Lisa Harvey, the CCG's director of nursing and quality, received £60,000 for four months' work and then a severance payment of more than £160,000.

Including pension benefits, two other officers each cost the taxpayer more than £100,000.

A spokesperson said: "Salaries are set following national guidance. Salaries for senior managers are reviewed by the CCG's remuneration committee which reports to governing body. Membership includes three lay members who bring an independent and outside perspective."