A JOINT chief executive has been announced for both the Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust and the 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.

Paul Roberts has been selected in the role and will take up his position on Monday April 16.

He has been a chief executive for over twenty years and spent more than five years in Wales leading a large health board responsible for community, mental health and learning disability services as well as for four acute hospitals.

He spent fourteen years in Plymouth as chief executive of community and mental health services and then the acute teaching hospital NHS Trust.

Mr Roberts said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this exciting new role. Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust and 2gether NHS Foundation Trust are both already very strong, high quality organisations.

“I look forward to building on these strengths over the coming months and years as the two organisations work even more closely together.”

Chairman of both trusts Ingrid Barker said: “Everyone understands that this is a very important appointment, and there was complete agreement that Paul stood out from an extremely strong field of candidates.

“His leadership, experience, compassion and dedication to our trusts’ strategic vision will be invaluable as we lay down a blueprint for mental health, learning disability and physical health services which offer better co-ordinated, and more effective, care.”