The interim chief executive of the East of England Ambulance Service is entitled to almost half a million pounds in redundancy from NHS Norfolk, despite not leaving the health service, it has emerged.

Andrew Morgan, who took over as head of the troubled ambulance service in December, was previously chief executive of a cluster of primary care trusts at NHS Norfolk Primary Care Trust.

He was seconded from there to the Strategic Health Authority in September last year, before switching to the ambulance trust a couple of months later.

And, in the final report of NHS Norfolk, which was wound up in March this year, it emerged that Mr Morgan was entitled to a redundancy payment of between £490,000 and £495,000.

That report, published in June, stated that the compensation for loss of office had been provided for, but not paid.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: 'Andrew joined EEAST as chief executive in December 2012. The redundancy arrangement is with former primary care trust NHS Norfolk & Waveney which was wound up in March this year.'

We asked if we could speak to Mr Morgan to establish whether he had been paid the compensation package subsequent to the NHS Norfolk annual report in June, but the spokesman said Mr Morgan was on holiday abroad.