A health care consulting company was paid almost $900,000 to provide King Edward VII Memorial Hospital with a chief of staff and one year of on- and off-site services.

The Greeley Company was paid $899,486 the figure included Donald Thomas' salary based on a one-year contract starting in August 2007.

That contract was then downsized to $250,000 annually until 2011. It saw Dr. Thomas' tenure extended, and it required that he train a Bermudian for his post.

Dr. Thomas is now employed by the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB).

Yesterday a spokesperson for the BHB said the hospital would be actively recruiting Bermudians.

"A highly experienced chief of staff was required to make these widespread and extensive changes," she said.

"The contract with Greeley, as at 1 April 2008, was for twelve months [from August 2007] at a cost of almost $900,000, including on- and off-site professional activities related to the engagement terms.

"BHB is actively working on succession planning for the chief of staff's position as well as for all positions at the hospitals.

"We are currently identifying and training potential Bermudian candidates to be eligible for the chief of staff and other medical leadership positions.

"In addition we are recruiting Bermudian physicians who work abroad to return to the Island to practise."

She added that Dr. Thomas' employment has helped meet recommendations on physician relations which were outlined in a 2007 Ombudsman report.

The recommendations included creating a new credentialing system for physicians, hiring an anaesthesiologist, bringing medical services to the Island and introducing a physician satisfaction survey.

The current contract with Greeley provides access to a senior advisor, medical staff development, access to the Greeley online medical library, annual assessment of the staff and preferred pricing for HCPro products.

Yesterday, UBP Shadow Minister of Health Louise Jackson said she understood the need for an experienced and trained professional for the chief of staff position, but more should have been accounted for.

She said: "The current chief of staff was hired on a one-year contract more than two-and-a-half years ago. One of his duties was to train a Bermudian understudy to take over his responsibilities.

"We recognise the special skills and demands of such an important position, but are concerned to hear the BHB say nothing about it other than 'they are actively working on a succession plan'.

"This gives us no comfort and so we call for a more specific statement on its status.

"We are also concerned about the $900,000 allocated to the Greeley Company for the chief of staff salary and, particularly, for any off- or on-site help they may need.

"This vague wording represents the kind of hole in the public purse that the Auditor General and her predecessor last week expressed such serious concerns about."

The Greeley Company, which also enables the hospital access to senior staff, was paid $899,486, which included the Chief of Staff's salary, for a one-year contract starting in August 2007.