Hospital chairman quits post

Mr Lee, who was contracted until October 2014, resigned this week, saying he had achieved all he could in the position.

He has been replaced on an interim basis by Christopher Langley, who chaired his first monthly board meeting on Thursday.

Mr Lee (62) said that when he joined in November 2011 the trust had not made the savings that were required, but was now on target to have a strategic plan — to take it through the next two years — ready for September 30, which would satisfy health care regulator Monitor.

He said: “How we move on is going to be a different matter and I feel I have done what I came here to do.

“It was my first significant chairmanship and we discussed the fact that we could use the services of someone who has turnaround experience in the NHS.

“We have a very determined senior management team and the opportunity to fix this ourselves.

“Bolt Partners have done a great job in cutting costs and we now have a recovery plan.

“We have had so much to address over the past 12 months and we have got through that difficult period and are moving forward.

“My leaving assists that as Christopher has not been involved in all that historic business.

“He has the experience to take this forward. I feel I have given this organisation what I can and the demands are such that we need someone with more experience.

“This is not a hostile situation. There is no acrimony and nothing going on behind the scenes.”

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