COUNCIL bosses in West Oxfordshire have been criticised for spending £40,000 of taxpayers’ cash on private health insurance for top managers.

West Oxfordshire District Council is the only council in Oxfordshire to offer the deal, which bosses said was needed to attract the best possible employees.

But the TaxPayers’ Alliance called the scheme “outrageous” because taxpayers already paid for the NHS.

The council’s Simplyhealth package offers fully funded private medical insurance to staff earning £24,000 or more. Currently 70 officers use the package.

This year it cost the council £39,736, a rise from £27,009 in 2005.

The council was not able to say how many officers received the package in 2005.

Simon Hoare, cabinet member for finance, said: “People were hired at the time and offers were made in order to ensure that we attracted the best officers we could, in order to deliver that quality of service council taxpayers expect.

“Historically, as part of some contracts, healthcare cover has been covered. To which, of course, employees also make contributions.

“What we can’t do is take away a benefit enshrined in someone’s contract of employment.”

He added: “We are not envisaging a need for any new recruitment where the need to offer healthcare is part of the package.”

But Emma Boon, campaign director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s outrageous that taxpayers are picking up the bill for council workers’ private healthcare cover.

“We are already paying for the NHS through our taxes and if that’s good enough for everyone else, it’s good enough for council staff.

“Many West Oxfordshire residents could never dream of being able to afford the privilege of private healthcare, it’s unfair to expect them to pay for it for someone else.”

Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxford City Council do not offer the package.

Edward Turner, the city council’s portfolio holder for finance, said: “We pay our staff and they pay their taxes, and that contributes to the NHS. We don’t see why we should hand over additional money to the private health sector.

“We would not want to send a message to people that they should be going private.

“It’s not for us to say how West Oxfordshire should pay its officers, but we wouldn’t consider it justified in Oxford.”

Richard Webber, Vale of White Horse District Council portfolio holder for finance, said: “Offering perks would be way down our list of priorities, particularly in these times of hardship we all face.

“We wouldn’t dream of going there at the moment.”

He said offering perks could potentially be divisive and affect officer morale, but he said he was reluctant to criticise West Oxfordshire for offering it.

Witney resident James Robert-shaw, 55, said the cost was “unnecessary” in the current economy climate. He said: “Why should the public pay for it when we are all suffering?”