An interim replacement for chief executive Paul O’Connor has been appointed to the role, Birmingham Children’s Foundation Hospital Trust board has revealed.

Sarah-Jane Marsh, the chief operating officer at the Steelhouse Lane hospital, was yesterday appointed interim chief executive following the sudden resignation of Mr O’Connor over the weekend.

Ms Marsh has worked at the Trust for 15 months and already understands the day-to-day running of the organisation along with the issues and action plans that have been enforced in the past six months. She will take on the role while the Trust looks to recruit a permanent executive in coming months.

“I am honoured to take on this important role for the Trust at such a pivotal time,” she said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues throughout the hospital to drive forward the improvements that we are making.”

There is no information on where Mr O’Connor, from Sutton Coldfield, plans to work. From Sutton Coldfield, he was an NHS high-flier and top troubleshooter when he joined the Children’s Hospital in April 2005, replacing Dr Sandy Bradbrook. He was parachuted into the failing Chase Farm Hospital, in Enfield, north London, by the then Health ­Secretary Alan Milburn in 2002.