THE chief executive who oversaw a turnaround in the reputation of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) is to step down.

Dr Attila Vegh, who joined CPFT in October 2011, will leave the Trust in August to take up the role of chief executive of University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust.

Keith Spencer, current director of People and Business Development, will take over as interim chief executive.

When he joined CPFT the Care Quality Commission (CQC) had raised serious concerns about the quality of care at the Trust, and foundation trust regulator Monitor had put CPFT in serious breach of its authorisation.

He oversaw major changes to ward environments, care planning and patient care and in just more than a year, CPFT was given a clean bill of health by the CQC and came out of breach with Monitor in one of the quickest-ever turnarounds by an NHS Trust.

Dr Vegh said: “I am incredibly proud of what we have all achieved since I have been here. The Trust is almost unrecognisable from the organisation I joined in 2011 and that is down to the incredible staff I have been working with.

“I have learned so much during my time here and I hope I have left CPFT in a much stronger, stable position. I would like to thank the Board for giving me the opportunity to make a difference and to work with so many wonderful people.”

CPFT chairman David Edwards said: “We are extremely sad to see Attila leave. He has been instrumental in turning around the fortunes of this Trust. Under his leadership, CPFT is in a position of real strength in terms of our patient care, our finances and our reputation.”