A chief executive at a West Midlands hospital has been suspended while an inquiry into the management of waiting list figures is carried out.

Good Hope Hospital, in Sutton Coldfield, announced on Tuesday it had suspended Jeff Chandra, 52, on full pay.

A spokesman for the hospital said the suspension was "pending an investigation into administrative matters".

Sir Bernard Zissman, chairman of the Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust, said Mr Chandra's suspension would not affect the level of care at Good Hope.

Rapid improvement

He said: "There will be no adverse affect on the day-to-day running of the hospital, nor the delivery of good quality patient care."

Last month, the hospital was awarded a maximum three-star performance status by the Department of Health.

Mr Chandra was appointed chief executive of the hospital in 1998 after holding similar posts at Walsall Health Authority and Birmingham Health Authority.

Tim Smythe, 55, the hospital's deputy chief executive, will assume the role of acting chief executive pending the results of the investigation.