The interim chairman of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust has announced his resignation with immediate effect.

Tim Smart was appointed by NHS Improvement in May this year to determine if further regulatory action was required at Southern Health after serious concerns for patient safety were raised by the Care Quality Commission. 

It followed a catalogue of failings documented in NHS England's Mazars report last December, which revealed that 722 people died unexpectedly under the trust's care over four years - of which just 272 were investigated.

The Trust has been in the spotlight since the death of Connor Sparrowhawk in July 2013 at its Slade House unit in Headington.

A coroner last October ruled that the 18-year-old's death had been contributed to by neglect.

The statement released today by Southern Health said: “Tim Smart has taken the decision to resign from his position as Interim Chair, with immediate effect, for personal reasons.

"Since his appointment in May this year Tim has made a considerable contribution to the Trust, driving through changes necessary to improve our services. We would like to thank him for his time and dedication.

“We are working with NHS Improvement to appoint a new Interim Chair as soon as possible. In the meantime, Malcolm Berryman, as Deputy Chair, will ensure that the duties of the Trust Board are carried out.”

Mr Smart came under fire last month after outgoing chief executive Katrina Percy walked into a newly-created role at Southern Health worth a staggering £240,000 a year.

He was also the recipient of an open letter from Oxford learning disability charity My Life My Choice, whose trustees told him that despite promises to involve them and straighten out leadership issues at Southern, "You delivered nothing".

Current governor Peter Bell, who had been locked in a dispute with Mr Smart over bullying allegations, said: "I'm not surprised given the position he was in. He has lost the support of governors; quite a few of us were complaining about his style.

"We need to recruit a substantive chair as well as a substantive CEO, although I think people are quite impressed with the start that Julie Dawes has made. That's a breath of fresh air."

But he added: "People over-emphasise the importance of the board in day-to-day matters. The organisation should be able to function without any of them."