A consultant psychiatrist has today blasted the chief executive of the county’s mental health trust’s decision to leave his post on the same day that a major redesign of care in Suffolk is introduced.

Aidan Thomas, who made national headlines last year after The Star revealed he sent an email to every employee at the trust denying he was having an affair, said he had been proud of his work.

He will be replaced by deputy CEO Andrew Hopkins from July 1. A spokeswoman for the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) said Mr Thomas will remain employed until December but has stepped aside to allow Mr Hopkins to lead the period of change.

Concerns were raised over patient safety when NSFT revealed proposals to axe nearly 400 jobs citing a need to make 20% savings in the next four years.

One of the trust’s consultant psychiatrists, who asked not to be named, said staff were disappointed that Mr Thomas had “jumped ship” at a time of such enormous change.

She told The Star: “I find it very difficult that he is stepping down at a point when a major redesign goes live. It feels as though he has jumped ship. There are real concerns among clinicians about how the changes will work.

“Staff received an email from Mr Hopkins praising this redesign as ‘wonderful work’.

“But it is yet to be seen if it will work and if it will be better for patients.”

The senior medic added that she hopes Mr Thomas’s replacement will put patient care first.

“I really hope we get a new chief executive who has the quality of care and wellbeing of staff and patients at their heart.

“I recognise the trust has been put in an impossible situation, being told to cut costs and I have sympathy for Mr Thomas. But there has been far too little focus on patient care.”

The NSFT spokeswoman said: “Aidan made it clear in his resignation press release his reasons for leaving and that having successfully supported the consultation process he felt it was time for a fresh perspective on the actual implementation.

“The number of changes means there would never have been a date which did not impact somewhere within the organisation.

“The medical and clinical staff in Suffolk have developed these plans and are leading this change, supported by the executive operational director. The success of this will be theirs and therefore Aidan’s departure will not impact on the IDT launch.”

Mr Thomas, who worked at the trust for four years, previously said: “Those who have worked with me know that I wouldn’t ever want to give less than a 100% in any role, and NSFT deserve this, however I do believe my style of management is better suited to a smaller organisation. In addition, I have struggled with the regular commute from my Essex home.”

It is understood Mr Thomas does not have a new job to move on to and is currently considering his personal situation.