FORMER Stafford Hospital chief executive Martin Yeates has resigned from his management role at a health charity.
Mr Yeates, who presided over the scandal at the trust, resigned in 2009 and refused to answer questions in person at the subsequent inquiry citing health issues, took up the role as chief executive at Impact Alcohol and Advisory Services in Shrewsbury in August 2012 on a salary of around £30,000.
In a statement, chair of the trustees at Impact David Bell said: “With mutual agrement and with immediate effect, we have at our board meeting today accepted the resignation of Mar- tin Yeates as our chief executive officer.
“In recent weeks, there has been considerable media coverage in the lead-up to the final report of the Mid Stafford Hospital Inquiry,” he said.
“It is essential that the board, our staff and volunteers are not distracted from our important work in caring for those suffering addictions and needing our support.”
Mr Bell said no severance package was agreed and the resignation was with immediate effect.
Mr Yeates’ solicitor was unavailable for comment.
The move follows national newspaper reports at the weekend pre-empting the findings of the Francis Inquiry into Stafford Hospital and calls for Mr Yeates to resign from his new role.
Julie Bailey, founder of Cure the NHS who has repeatedly called for Mr Yeates to step down, declined to speak to the Newsletter but posted a message on Twitter which said: “After trying to make a mockery of the inquiry process, Martin Yeates resigns.”
Terry Deighton, who tried to raise concerns about poor levels of hygiene at the hospital in 2006, said he wasn’t at all surprised.
“I think with the exposure that we have had again over the past few weeks, it’s not a shock.”
Frank Robinson, whose son, John Moore- Robinson, died in 2006 after being sent home from Stafford Hospital with painkillers after doctors had failed to spot he had a ruptured spleen, said: “Good. He doesn’t deserve any more.
"Why should he keep being rewarded for what he did?"
