A TOP health expert has stepped down from his role at the helm of an NHS organisation after six years.

A TOP health expert has stepped down from his role at the helm of an NHS organisation after six years.

Hugh Davies was appointed as chairman of Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust in November 2002 after working as a consultant anaesthetist for 20 years.

Today Dr Davies announced his plans to leave the organisation at the end of the year.

He said: “Six years ago, I saw an organisation which didn't know where it was going.

“The first thing we had to do was to pass the then Commission for Healthcare Improvement's governance review, which we did, and we then turned into a trust with a future.

“We've gone from being a trust which scored no stars in the Healthcare Commission's star ratings scale to one which is now seen as providing a good quality of service and a good use of our resources.

“We've seen a shift from a hospital-based system to a much more community-focussed one, with the establishment of crisis resolution, assertive outreach and early intervention teams to name but a few.

“The emphasis is on recovery and independence, and I feel immensely proud to have been associated with the people which have made that happen.

“I will miss their camaraderie, but wish them all the best as the trust approaches NHS Foundation Trust status and sees the completion of the new inpatient wards we are building and refurbishing in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds.”

Dr Davies said he now hoped to spend more time with his family and added he was looking forward to travelling and pursuing his love of long-distance cycling.