Another governor has resigned from the board of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, citing the board's "farcical" response to last year's Mazars report.

John Green, Public Governor for the South West, is the latest to hand in a resignation letter to the trust.

He wrote: "In an ongoing exchange of correspondence with the Rt Honourable Alistair Burt MP, Minister of State for Community and Mental Health, I wrote... expressing my dismay at the farcical way in which the Trust and NHS has managed affairs since the Mazars Report.

"I also indicated my dissatisfaction as to the conclusion and decision by the Interim Chair of the Trust/NHS Improvement not to censure the Trust Board - a decision that appears not to address the culpability of Board members for past failures in respect of unexpected deaths; deaths that the Trust itself has stated 'should never have happened'."

He added that the public were entitled to a "full and detailed explanation" as to the reasoning behind the decision.

Last year NHS England's Mazars report found that hundreds of deaths of people with mental health problems and learning disabilities had taken place unexpectedly under the trust's care.

In April this year former governor Mark Aspinall and chairman Mike Petter left over a damning CQC investigation in April that said Southern Health was still failing to protect the patients in its care.

Mr Green added that the decision not to interfere at board level "showed lack of appropriate respect for the complainants".

He said: "Whilst I have no doubt whatsoever as to the dedication of the Trust's front line workforce, support staff and operational managers... I no longer have any confidence in the Board of the Trust."

Of the last four years, he added: "I have found this to be one of the most interesting, albeit bizarre, business experiences of my life.

"Frankly, as a case study in business and management failure, 'You could not make it up'."

Mr Green was one of several to crowd-source an extraordinary meeting of governors in defiance of new chairman Tim Smart in May.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust spokeswoman Liz Pusey said: "John Green has officially resigned from his position as Governor of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

"He was a Governor in the South West Hampshire constituency of the Trust. There will follow an election for a new Governor, which is a voluntary role, in due course. 

"We appreciate the personal views John has expressed in his resignation letter, and his comments will be shared with the wider Board and Council of Governors.

"Following the extraordinary Council of Governors meeting that was adjourned earlier this year, the Trust is currently supporting Governors in the process of appointing legal representation to ensure that any resolutions put forward for consideration when the meeting reconvenes are legally sound."