Francois said the move by Mid & South Essex Hospital NHS Trust had added ‘insult to injury' with senior managers ‘already very well paid as it is' and the trust having predicted a £85m deficit in 2024/25.

The MP for Rayleigh & Wickford said the trust had ‘been persistently unable to manage its budget successfully', adding he was receiving ‘more and more complaints from constituents, especially regarding Southend Hospital'.

Dawn Scrafield, chief finance officer at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘Since we began the journey to financial recovery, we have saved over £65m on improving ways of working and reducing wastage. Our focus is on efficiencies that will bring better quality of care for our patients.'

The trust said PwC had been brought in to improve efficiency and reduce its operating deficit.

It said working more efficiently led to better patient care.