The trust in charge of GPs across South Staffordshire has come under fire as new figures reveal its spending on public relations and marketing has ballooned by more than 400 per cent in just two years.

South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust, which was launched in October 2006, spent £48,451 on PR, marketing and communications in 2007/08. Around £34,500 of the total was for staff salaries. By the 2009/10 financial year the spin spending had swollen to almost £220,000.

Salaries were up to £61,392, according to figures obtained by the Express & Star under Freedom of Information legislation.

The trust, based in Rugeley, covers 98 general practices across the region, spanning Cannock Chase, Stafford, Lichfield, Penkridge, Wombourne, Codsall and Kinver.

Their own website hails trusts as “custodians of the taxpayer’s money, working to ensure that the NHS gets best value for the public purse”.

The trust says the marketing budget has been spent on encouraging patients to register with NHS dentists and promote “alternative health services” like pharmacies and NHS Direct.

But Aidan Burley, Tory MP for Cannock Chase, said the dramatic increase is “very difficult to justify”.

“The reality is, as we all know, that Labour have left us with no money,” he said. “All trusts need to be using what resources they have to improve medical care and maintain front line services, not spin and advertising.

Public spending watchdog the TaxPayers’ Alliance condemned the spending increase. West Midlands spokesman Fiona McEvoy said: “At the end of the day this money should be used for medicine, equipment and general care — not flashy advertising and endless spin.

“Publicity shouldn’t be a priority for the NHS and taxpayers would rather see this money spent on the frontline services.”

Stuart Poynor, the trust’s chief executive, said: “People using health services are the most important contributors to their own health.

“We have made great strides to work more closely with local people to ensure that they are given the opportunity to be fully involved in the design, development, delivery and review of health services.”