Jeff James, the chief executive of NHS Wiltshire, has resigned.

Mr James, 58, resigned last Thursday and a spokesman for NHS Wiltshire said Mr James intended to work out his six-month notice period.

Mr James has been the chief executive of Wiltshire Primary Care Trust since it was formed five years ago, following the merger of Kennet and North Wiltshire, West Wiltshire and South Wiltshire PCTs.

This summer, Mr James also became chief executive of Bath and North East Somerset PCT. He also leads the National Health Service on several matters nationally.

As part of the Government’s radical shake up of the NHS, all PCTs will be abolished in April 2013 and clinical commissioning groups, which include GPs, will take over the role of commissioning health services.

Mr James said he was leaving for personal reasons. In a statement, he said: “After a 31-year career in the health service, 16 years of which have been as a chief executive, I have decided that it is time to change the balance of activities in my life.”

When NHS Wiltshire was formed it was saddled with huge debts from its predecessor PCTs.

Mr James led the organisation into financial balance. He also oversaw cuts in hospital services, namely the closure of minor injury units at Devizes, Savernake, Melksham, Westbury and Warminster hospitals, closure of beds at Devizes Hospital and a reduction in beds at Trowbridge and Chippenham hospitals, the closure of Devizes Maternity Unit, and the setting up of Neighbourhood Teams, health workers who treat patients at home.

As chief executive of NHS Wiltshire Mr James earns between £145,000 and £150,000. He lives near Stroud, is married with two grown-up daughters. He is a part-time priest in the Church of England and is associate priest at the Beacon benefice in Gloucestershire, which includes Painswick in its parishes.