A prominent trauma surgeon has criticised a group of paediatric doctors for backing an increase in pokie machines at a local pub in exchange for a $500,000 donation to their hospital.

Dr John Crozier, chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeon’s trauma committee, says he is “horrified” that some doctors from Sydney’s Fairfield Hospital are supporting an application for the number of poker machines at the Fairfield Hotel to increase from 13 to 30.