Bosses at troubled Stafford Hospital hope to entice doctors to ease a staff shortage with a bumper pay packet that is 25 per cent more than they could expect elsewhere.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust Board is trying to encourage more health professionals – including consultants and middle-grade doctors – to apply for jobs with them with the pay incentive.

On average. consultants currently earn between £70,000 and £100,000 and for middle-grade doctors, between £30,000 and £60,000 a year.

The move is to attract staff to the troubled hospital, which from Thursday  will be closing its A&E department overnight due to staff shortages.

Only four of the six consultants posts in A&E at the hospital are full with one of those a locum and only eight of 11 middle grade doctor posts are filled, with gaps covered by agency staff.

Two nurses have already handed in their notice and a middle-grade doctor has an interview elsewhere.

Manjit Obhrai, medical director said: “We are offering them a 25 per cent incentive to join this trust which will be over and above their salary expectations.”