A HOSPITAL trust at the centre of the Richard Neale affair has denied another director is moving on because of the controversy.

Mr Steve Spoerry, director of operations at the Friarage Hospital is to take up a new post with Tees health authority.

Mr Spoerry told staff this week he was taking up the new challenge which was a secondment looking at primary care trusts in the Tees region.

"Nobody has talked to me about Mr Neale in connection with this move," said Mr Spoerry.

Mr Neale, the Friarage's former head of maternity, was struck off the medical register last summer after botching a string of gynaecological operations. A total of 29 women died under his care at the Friarage and North Yorkshire police are currently investigating three of these cases.

Mr Spoerry added: "This has much more to do with the changes in the health services. I have asked for this and I am very pleased that I was made this offer to try and do a different job."

Mr Spoerry takes up his new post in March. He has worked at Northallerton Health Services Trust for 11 years.

"My job is to help set up PCTs in the region and look at the capacity of the health service and meet all the targets the government has set for the next few years," added Mr Spoerry.

His move comes at a time when the trust has featured in the top 20 hospitals in England for low mortality rates.

The trust was ranked fourth behind Airedale, the Newcastle upon Tyne hospitals and Leeds teaching hospitals in a survey of Northern and Yorkshire hospitals in The Sunday Times' Good Hospital Guide.

The survey stated: "the death rate is 11pc better than projected despite below average doctor numbers (eight fewer per 100 beds)".

Northallerton is also one in 72 trusts in England to meet the government requirement for all women urgently referred with suspected breast cancer to see a specialist within two weeks.

Chief executive of the trust, Mr Bruce Skilbeck, said: "I am particularly pleased to see the very high clinical standards of the hospital recognised. We have suffered some adverse publicity recently but it is good to see the clinical standards remain very high within the trust."

About Mr Spoerry's move he said: "This is a career development move for him. There will be some people who will say he has been pushed but he hasn't. This is a good career move."

Mr Skilbeck's predecessor, Mr Tony Bruce, left last year to help set up the primary care trust in the Northallerton area