 Ken Cunningham has 'agreed to leave' the trust |
An NHS Trust which underwent controversial changes to its accident and emergency services has had its chief executive replaced. Ken Cunningham, chief executive of the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is on "agreed leave", the trust revealed on Friday.
The trust decided last year to close A&E services at Crawley Hospital and combine them with services at Redhill.
A 15,000-name petition called for the reinstatement of A&E at Crawley.
�30m overhaul
Mr Cunningham has been replaced by Anthony McKeever, who will serve as acting chief executive.
A spokeswoman said the trust's board had agreed Mr Cunningham could take a period of extended leave and the matter would be under continual review.
The A&E department at Crawley Hospital closed at the end of August as part of a �30m overhaul of services with a minor injuries unit set up in its place.
In September, ambulance officials blamed a backlog at Redhill's casualty department on the closure of Crawley's A&E.
Sussex Ambulance Trust chairman Richard Purchase wrote to hospital managers to say the situation was "clinically unsafe".
The NHS trust said at the time the reinstatement of Crawley's A&E had been ruled out.
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