HEALTH bosses have appointed a new chief executive to take over the reins at Ipswich Hospital.

Nick Hulme, who has worked in the NHS for more than 30 years, joins the Heath Road trust from Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals where he is currently leading a major programme of change.

The 51-year-old quit his position at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust last February –the same month as the Care Quality Commission published a damning report into Croydon University Hospital, outlining a failure to provide high quality care for patients, enough staffing levels or a good enough complaints procedure.

Dr Mark Shenton, a Stowmarket GP and chairman of the Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group, was part of the interviewing panel. He told The Star: “As GPs and the hospitals work even more closely together we are very glad that Nick has been appointed and we look forward to working with him.”

Mr Hulme, a former chairman of the Terrence Higgins Trust, added: “I am so pleased to be coming to Ipswich, an area of the country I am looking forward to moving to. I have heard great things about the care provided at Ipswich and will make it my personal ambition to improve that even further.”

Welcoming Mr Hulme, chairman for the hospital trust, Ann Tate paid tribute to interim chief executive Nigel Beverley who will step aside on March 31.

“We are delighted that Nick is joining us. He has an excellent track record in the acute sector demonstrated over a number of challenging assignments,” she added. “He has a proven expertise in change management and is a passionate advocate for patients.

“On behalf of the board I should also like to pay tribute to Nigel Beverley for the excellent work he has done over the past ten months which has built a secure foundation for our future development.”