Suicide review NHS trust's chief Anna Hills to step down

Anna Hills said she was stepping down to "pursue other opportunities"

The chief executive of an NHS mental health trust which is reviewing all of its suicides since 2017 is to step down.

Anna Hills will leave Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) to "pursue other opportunities".

The deaths of dozens of people who took their own lives are being reviewed externally after the trust was accused of a "culture of cover up".

Former finance director Scott Haldane will return in an acting role.

The review was announced after CPFT was accused of adding to the records of Charles Ndhlovu, 33, the day after he took his own life to, in his mother's words, to "correct their mistakes".

On Friday, Ms Hills said: "I have really enjoyed the last couple of years working at CPFT and in the wider Cambridgeshire and Peterborough system.

"I'm really proud of the amazing people here who have achieved so much for our patients.

"However, I have decided that for personal reasons the time is right for me to pursue other opportunities. I would like to wish everyone well at CPFT under the guidance of the chair and a new chief executive."

Ms Hill has been with the trust for nearly two years.

The trust is also facing a deficit of £8.8m for the year, including an overspend of £2.5m on out-of-area treatment costs.

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At last month's trust board meeting, deputy chief executive John Webster said CPFT would "have a greater degree of oversight" from the local Integrated Care Board going forward "until such time as we recover our financial position".

According to that meeting's papers the chief nurse Penny Snowden was "away from the organisation", without stating the reasons.

A spokesperson for the trust said it did "not comment further on private matters".