Peter Herring, who is currently Chief Executive of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, is expected to take up the position in the autumn.

Under Peter’s leadership since May 2000, the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust became one of the first ten Foundation Trusts in the country in 2004.

The Countess of Chester is one of only five Trusts to have been awarded the CHKS Top40 Hospitals Award for their high clinical standards and outcomes for twelve consecutive years, and they have been a finalist in the Health Service Journal Acute Trust of the Year on two occasions

On joining Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, Peter’s priorities will include starting work on the state-of -the-art women and children’s facilities at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and establishing the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital as the main centre for acute inpatient surgery.

Mr Herring said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Chief Executive of the Trust.

“I have been really impressed with the team at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and the staff I have met. The Trust is clearly making great progress in improving services to patients in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales.

“By continuing to work in close partnership with our patients, our commissioners, other healthcare providers, local authority and voluntary sector partners I am confident that we will continue to enhance the services we provide.

“Our priorities must be to continue to focus on the needs of our patients, to provide great care and to live within our means. By doing this we will also meet our key objective of gaining FT status. Having led one of the first Trusts to achieve NHS Foundation Trust status – a Trust that can also demonstrate high standards of quality, safety and patient experience by being awarded the CHKS Top40 Hospitals Award for twelve consecutive years – I look forward to helping the Trust achieve that and also to put in place the new capital developments that have recently been approved by the Strategic Health Authority.”

Mr Herring will replace Adam Cairns, who resigned in March to take up a new post.