An NHS troubleshooter who cut his teeth in the Midlands is to take over the helm at beleagured Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust.

Antony Sumara will take up the role of chief executive of the shamed Trust, which runs Stafford and Cannock Chase hospitals, on August 1 in a shake-up aimed at restoring patient confidence. He is no stranger to the Midlands as former chief executive of Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust and University Hospitals of North Staffordshire NHS Trust.

Mr Sumara will be joined by a new chairman, former nurse Sir Stephen Moss, who has been involved with the trust board as a non-executive director since February this year.

Foundation hospital regulator Monitor announced the new appointments, which come after the controversial resignations of former chief executive Martin Yeates and chairman Toni Brisby over a damning Healthcare Commission report that heavily criticised the misguided running of the Trust.

Mr Sumara is currently chief executive of NHS Interim Management and Support and turnaround director at NHS London with previous successes including stabilising Hillingdon Primary Care Trust, in north west London, which once had the highest deficit of any NHS organisation in England.