THE acting chief executive of a troubled ambulance service has left the organisation with immediate effect.

Geraint Davies was due to leave South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) on March 31 but it was announced today he was stepping down with immediate effect for personal reasons.

Trust interim chairman, Sir Peter Dixon said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Geraint on behalf of the trust for not only his hard work and commitment during the last 12 months as acting chief executive but also his wider contribution during his 12 years with the trust.

“I have asked David Hammond, director of finance and corporate services, to take on the role of acting chief executive until our new chief executive Daren Mochrie joins the trust at the beginning of April.”

Mr Davies took on his role after previous trust boss Paul Sutton stood down following the ambulance pilot scheme scandal.

When he announced he was leaving last month he said it was the right time for him to move on to new challenges.

Mr Davies said it was the right time for him to move on to new challenges. Secamb is currently in special measures after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) branded it inadequate last year.

Problems with meeting response time targets were among the issues of concern highlighted by inspectors.

The CQC is due to return to the trust for a follow-up visit in May.

The trust received severe criticism for a pilot scheme it introduced over the winter of 2014/15.

This involved delaying sending ambulances to patients transferred to the 999 operations centre from the non-emergency 111 centre.