The chief executive of Airedale Hospital is leaving.

Adam Cairns made the announcement at last Thursday’s Airedale NHS Trust board meeting, just a week after Airedale learned it had been granted foundation trust status.

The status, which became effective on Tuesday, will give the trust greater freedom to develop and deliver healthcare.

Mr Cairns, who has worked with the hospital to achieve the status since his appointment in August 2005, is taking up the post of chief executive of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust this summer.

He said: “We have achieved what we hoped to in gaining the foundation trust status.

“But I think this confirms the standard we all knew the organisation to be and what the public wanted it to be — one that puts patient safety at the heart of all its work.

“I think we should say a big thank you to all the people involved in this work.”

The chairman of Airedale NHS Trust board, Colin Millar, said work would now start to find the right replacement for Mr Cairns.

He said: “When Adam was appointed they matched the man to the moment very well and we must do that again.

“We are at a critical stage in the (foundation status) process and we need to find the right person to take us through.”

He added in a press statement: “Clearly we will be sorry to see Adam go but our directors form a strong, very experienced and stable board that will ensure that the change of chief executive is made without disruption to the trust operations, relationships and future developments.”

Since Mr Cairns joined the trust he has helped Airedale Hospital to achieve authorisation as a foundation trust, improve its rating with the Care Quality Commission from fair to excellent for its quality of services and deliver its best financial performance in a decade.

Last year the trust received the Dr Foster Small Trust of the Year award for the third time in four years.