ONCE again the Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust is in a state of disarray.

Just days before Jan Stubbings the chief executive of Swindon Primary Care Trust was due to take on the dual role of running both authorities three non-executive directors have resigned.

It appears that two of them at least are leaving because they do not fancy the Kennet and North Wiltshire Trust being run by someone from across the border.

They would not be pushed on exactly why they are going but it is no co-incidence that they have chosen to walk just before Ms Stubbings takes up her post.

The trust has been reeling from one problem to the next ever since it was created in April, 2002.

It was lumbered with a huge financial deficit and no easy answers to its financial problems.

It also inherited a number of projects that had been promised to communities such as a new Savernake Hospital in Marlborough and a new community hospital for Devizes.

Last year the trust got a zero rating from the Government and then chief executive Barbara Smith resigned.

To make matters worse by this time the trust was embroiled in a hastily put together plan to scrap many maternity services in several parts of the district.

The GP Barney Williams also added to the trust's headache by sticking to his guns over out-of-hours services.

This week the whole stack of cards looks like it was about to collapse as protesters gathered outside the trust meeting and there was dissension inside the room.