THE amount being spent on public relations by Devon health services has come under fire.

NHS trusts across the county have spent around £1.1million this year on media work, with up to £793,000 going on salaries for 19 members of communications staff.

It has led a county councillor to call for the trusts' PR departments to be merged to "save thousands of pounds in taxpayer's money".

Cll Alan Connett, who is also the leader of Teignbridge District Council, made his comments after he obtained documents which showed the figures.

But health bosses say they are "already cutting back and sharing services to ease the burden".

Cllr Connett, who has previously worked in NHS public communications, said: "There is a funding cut storm coming and it's about debating how we can weather that."

He submitted questions under the Freedom of Information Act to find out what NHS trusts in Devon had in their pay budget for PR in the 2010-11 financial year was and what the annual "non-pay budget" for work such as producing annual reports was.

Statistics revealed the Devon Partnership NHS Trust, which runs Wonford House in Exeter, employs two people with pay totalling £124,211 and other costs of £30,500.

NHS Devon, formerly the Devon Primary Care Trust, employs six people, earning a total of £338,332, with other costs of £90,000. The Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital Trust pays out £54,500 for two members of staff with further budget of £24,000.

The shared service of Torbay Care Trust and South Devon Healthcare NHS Trust employs three people with pay totalling £76,430 and non-pay £43,256. The South West Strategic Health Authority employs three with pay of £203,123 and £147,689 costs.

Northern Devon Healthcare Trust has not yet replied to his request. Cllr Connett said: "I believe savings can be made by looking at the way we work and challenging the way we have done things up till now.

"For the future it seems to me that councils could have a unified press and public relations team with a single head of service and specialist staff working to support particular councils and trusts."

An NHS Devon spokesperson said: "The NHS is already making efficiency savings in management costs. We are taking every opportunity to make efficiencies by working with colleagues in other organisations and are exploring ways of taking this further."

A spokesman for Devon Partnership NHS Trust said: "We would all agree that frontline staff are the backbone of the NHS and that we need to eliminate duplication and unnecessary management costs wherever possible, and the NHS across Devon is already looking very closely at these issues.

"Increasingly the role of the communication team is about engaging with the public about health services, listening to what they have to say, ensuring better access and providing information and guidance in ways that helps people to get the most out of their NHS."