A FORMER police and crime commissioner has been named as the new chairman of a hospital trust.

Nick Alston CBE, who served in the Essex police role until 2016, will take up the position for the Mid Essex Hospital trust next month.

He replaces Professor Sheila Salmon who has been in the role since 2010.

Mr Alston has served on the hospital trust board as a non-executive director since 2011.

He said: “I am honoured to have been appointed to the role of chairman for MEHT. We have a very strong leadership team and some of the finest clinical and non-clinical staff absolutely committed to providing the best possible treatment for all those that need to access our services.

“We have an exciting period approaching working with our partner trusts, Basildon and Thurrock University NHS Foundation Trust and Southend University NHS Foundation Trust to ensure that we can secure high quality care for our patients into the future.”

The trust is responsible for Braintree Community Hospital, Maldon’s St Peter’s hospital and Broomfield Hospital.

Professor Salmon said: “I am delighted to hand the baton on to Nick, safe in the knowledge that the trust will continue to benefit from his excellent strategic leadership and insight into the health and social care economy in mid and south Essex.

“It is particularly important that the trust continues to benefit from leaders of Nick's calibre during this period of transformation and I know that he has the full support of the site leadership team and the entire trust board.''

CEO of the trust, Clare Panniker added: “We are indebted to Sheila for her exemplary service to the trust and delighted that Nick has agreed to succeed Sheila and chair the board.

“I have worked with Nick for 18 months and have total confidence in his ability to keep us on course for the next stage of our journey.”