North East Ambulance Service medical and safety directors resign

Dr Matthew Beattie left the ambulance service on 31 January, it is understood

Two directors at an ambulance service that recently received a damning inspection report have resigned.

Medical director Dr Matthew Beattie left the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) on 31 January after a six-month notice period.

Quality and safety director Sarah Rushbrooke was given a new job with a neighbouring trust in September and leaves NEAS at the end of February.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated NEAS' urgent care "inadequate".

The loss of the two directors comes as a CQC report said crews frequently responded to emergencies without access to life-saving drugs.

The report, published earlier this week, concluded patients had been potentially placed "at risk" by the poor management of medicines.

The latest inspection rated the NEAS service overall as "requires improvement" - it was rated "good" in 2018

In response to the CQC's findings, NEAS said it had faced a year of "unprecedented pressures".

The report comes after a whistleblower raised concerns last year that NEAS had covered up mistakes by paramedics following the deaths of patients.

The trust faced allegations it withheld details from coroners in more than 90 cases between 2018 and 2019.

Paul Calvert, the NEAS coroner's officer who raised the concerns, said a full public inquiry was needed.

The government said the NHS would be holding a full independent review, something NEAS said it would "welcome independent scrutiny".

A spokesperson for NEAS said Dr Beattie gave notice six months ago and left the service on 31 January to take up a new role and would be replaced by Dr Kat Noble.

Ms Rushbrooke was appointed to a new job in a neighbouring trust in September last year and would be replaced by NHS lead nurse Julia Young at the end of February, they said.

The exact circumstances surrounding the departures are not known and the BBC has no evidence suggesting they are linked to the recent failings at the trust.