Health managers have been offered up to a year's pay in the first stage of redundancy negotiations. Details of the mutually agreed resignation scheme have been sent out, with chief executives offered £137,500 an senior managers around £100,000. It is likely to be seen as an initial offering as staff, who have six weeks to accept the offer, could opt to claim two years' pay under existing contract terms. Feedback from health managers' leaders indicates the deal was unlikely to appeal to officials who have a significant record of long service. But the Department of Health revealed it expected up to 6,500 managers and administration staff to go.