One of the country’s longest-serving NHS chief executives is stepping down next year.

Lisa Rodrigues will be retiring from her role at the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in the summer.

Mrs Rodrigues was appointed chief executive in January 2006 after running predecessor organisations since December 2001. The trust runs mental health, learning disability and substance misuse services across Sussex and in parts of Kent and Hampshire.

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Trust chairman John Bacon said “I was of course very reluctant to accept Lisa’s decision.

“She has been a tremendously successful chief executive of Sussex Partnership and its predecessors for 12 years.

“She led our merger process and then took the new trust into foundation and teaching trust status.

“Over this period our reputation has grown on a national level as we have developed into a leading teaching and research-based provider of mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and prison healthcare services.

“There will be opportunities for me to pay tribute to Lisa’s achievements over the next year but I wanted to say straight away that she will be a great loss to Sussex Partnership and to me as chairman.

“At the same time I fully understand and support her desire to retire and seek new challenges.”

Mrs Rodrigues said: “This has been the best job I have ever had.

“That is because of the wonderful people who I have had the honour to work with and serve.”

Mrs Rodrigues, 58, is a nurse by background and was made a CBE for her services to the NHS in the Queen’s 2012 Birthday Honours.

The process of appointing her successor will begin shortly and the post will be advertised in the new year.