A hospitals' boss spent nearly £5,000 of public money on a 'fact-finding' trip to Canada, it has been revealed.

Stuart Bain, who is chief executive of the East Kent Hospitals Trust, went to Montreal for six days to attend a World Health conference.

Details of the trip were released following a Freedom of Information Act request by the Kentish Gazette which inquired by foreign trips takes by NHS staff.

Mr Bain, who earns between £175,000 and £180,000 a year, flew economy class and stayed at a 'premier luxury hotel'.

The total cost of his visit, including travel, hotel and conference costs amounted to £4,712.

At a time of severe budgets cuts in the NHS, Mr Bain justified his trip by saying: "I believe that my learning how world-class managers from all parts of the world are running first class organisations in the most effective and economical manner possible will be of great benefit to this trust and its patients for years to come."

Last year, Mr Bain said the trust would need make savings of £20 million a year over three years because of cutbacks to the NHS budget nationally.