The chairman of a hospital foundation trust has been removed from his post over a series of failings, regulator Monitor has announced.
Richard Bourne was reappointed as chairman of Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust in September, after chairing it for four years.
But Monitor has used its regulatory powers to force him to step down over concerns about patient safety, leadership and waiting times.
A statement from Monitor said: "Regulatory action has been prompted by the trust's failure to comply with healthcare standards, its failure to exercise its functions effectively, efficiently and economically, and serious and wide-ranging concerns as to overall governance and leadership at the trust."
The news comes after Monitor intervened at another foundation trust, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, after a damning report found poor hygiene and standards of care.
Inspectors for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found blood-splattered equipment and soiled mattresses at the Basildon and Thurrock trust.
That trust's unusually high death rate among patients has already provoked concern from the organisation.
The CQC asked Monitor to take action amid concerns that "improvements are simply not happening fast enough". Chief executive Cynthia Bower said the trust had taken its concerns seriously but added: "Our confidence in the management's ability to deliver on commitments and to turn the situation around has been severely dented."
Dr William Moyes, Monitor's executive chairman, said it was using its powers to demand immediate action to ensure "the delivery of rapid improvement of services" at the Basildon trust.
Improvements in patient care had been "too slow to date" he said, adding that Monitor was concerned about the effectiveness of the trust's board. "We will be reviewing the trust's performance regularly and in detail - if we don't see measurable results quickly, we'll take further action."
