MANY people will not begrudge bosses at Oxford University NHS Hospitals Trust taking home bonuses worth up to a total of £180,000.

The Trust’s turnover was a whopping £788m – a figure dwarfing that of many big private sector firms.

During the year in question, the Trust commendably hit overall targets such as a cut in infections, improvement in staff survey results and getting 95 per cent of patients seen within 18 weeks.

Board members also had to meet personal objectives to pocket sums like the £30-£35,000 paid to chief executive Sir Jonathan Michael.

For the Trust, good management is literally a matter of life and death.

But the bonuses are public money, and it is only through full transparency that such senior public servants can be held truly accountable.

There is no reason whatsoever why the Trust should not fully explain why each of the nine took the extra payments.

Public finances are tight and many will be sceptical they were truly deserved.

If the Trust is so confident the public would be satisfied with the reasons for the payouts, they should release them in full.