Yawning at the airport, new NHS boss jets off to Algarve for his holiday home days after being caught napping in first-class train carriage
Less than two weeks into his £300,000-a-year job as the chief executive of NHS England, Sir Jim Mackey has already jetted off to his holiday home in Portugal.
Less than two weeks into his £300,000-a-year job as the chief executive of NHS England, Sir Jim Mackey has already jetted off to his holiday home in Portugal.
The 58-year-olds break comes just days after he was pictured snoozing while watching Netflix on a taxpayer-funded first class train carriage during working hours.
He was seen as he set off home to Northumberland at 2.30pm on Tuesday afternoon after telling MPs on the Commons health committee that the NHS must pick up the pace of change.
Sir Jim, who took up his role overseeing the health services £186billion budget and 1.5million staff on March 31 – was then spotted on Saturday morning flying to the Algarve with his wife Victoria.
But while his work arrangements have come under scrutiny, the only pace Sir Jim appeared to be picking up over the weekend was towards the departure gates at Newcastle airport.
Dressed casually in denim jeans, a navy gilet and a salmon-coloured shirt, the health executive yawned as he checked in for his early morning flight to Faro.
The sun-soaked Easter break comes just nine days into the top job – after having already taken time off on Friday, April 4 in his first week.
Dressed casually in denim jeans, a navy gilet and a salmon-coloured shirt, the health executive yawned (pictured) as he checked in for his early morning flight to Faro
His wife, Lady Mackey, offers a glimpse into their lavish lifestyle through her Instagram account, including their regular visits to their second home in the scenic coastal town on Portugals south coast
The 58-year-olds break comes just days after he was pictured snoozing while watching Netflix on a taxpayer-funded first class train carriage during working hours
His wife, Lady Mackey, offers a glimpse into their lavish lifestyle through her Instagram account, including their regular visits to their second home in the scenic coastal town on Portugals south coast.
Her frequent updates show off the rust-red property which is part of a resort and features stunning interiors, two picturesque terraces and manicured gardens.
It is located just a few minutes from the golden sands of a popular beach and is within easy reach of the towns bustling centre as well as its charming marina.
Photos from past visits show the chief executive dancing at a nearby upscale beach club, paddleboarding and practising yoga at sunset on the sand.
The resort, which consists of luxury villas, townhouses and apartments, also offers separate swimming pools for adults and children as well a tennis court and a bar and restaurant.
It is unclear when Sir Jim is due to return to work but previous posts by Lady Mackey show that the family often spend weeks at their Algarve retreat.
The Mails investigation into his Tuesday train trip revealed that Sir Jim left his laptop unlocked when he went to the toilet (pictured)
Near the end of his journey, he openly displayed documents including an agenda for an NHS leadership meeting (pictured) - which the Mail has blurred the details of
The Mail revealed last week that Sir Jim commutes 1,200 miles a week between the NHS offices in London and his £780,000 home in Northumberland.
He is thought to spend just one night a week in London, during one of which he was seen staying at an exclusive Mayfair members club where rooms cost as much as £495 a night.
His movements have raised questions about whether the chief is effectively running the health service from the train and potentially his garden office at his detached four-bedroom home.
NHS England said last week that Sir Jim has been working in NHS offices across the country but given that running the health service is not a nine-to-five job, he also works evenings and weekends from home. It did not comment on his Algarve trip.
The Mails investigation into his Tuesday train trip revealed that Sir Jim left his laptop unlocked when he went to the toilet and displayed NHS documents.