The chief executive and operations director of the Scottish Ambulance Service have resigned after an investigation into staff claims of bullying and harassment.

The chief executive and operations director of the Scottish Ambulance Service have resigned after an investigation into staff claims of bullying and harassment.

Kevin Doran and Grace Kennedy had been on voluntary leave of absence since a probe was announced last May.

A statement by the service yesterday said the pair had resigned after it had been agreed that a return to work would be "impossible".

Details of the allegations were not revealed. However, it is understood a report was written following the claims of harassment and bullying and was given to the SAS board and that the service felt there were enough grounds within the report to move to a disciplinary hearing. It is understood no such hearing took place and the resignations followed yesterday.

The workers' union, Unison, had raised concerns about the management of the SAS with Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon earlier this year.

David Forbes, Scotland officer for Unison, welcomed the resignations. He said of the two managers: "They introduced a management style to the ambulance service which was totally at odds with what had developed over the last 10 years both in the ambulance service and the broader NHS in Scotland and was frankly counter-productive and in danger of undermining the morale and effectiveness of the whole service."