ROYAL Surrey County Hospital’s new chief executive Paula Head joined the trust last month.

She takes over from Peter Dunt who took on the position on an interim basis following the departure of Nick Moberly.

Mr Dunt said: “I joined the trust in December 2010 and as chairman of the board I have come to admire greatly the very high degree of professionalism, the camaraderie and the commitment of all those I have come into contact with at Royal Surrey.

“The last few years have been particularly challenging for the NHS but I believe we have the best health system in the world, with the best people working in it. It is with great confidence I hand over leadership of this fantastic trust to a proven leader in Paula.”

Chairman John Denning thanked Peter for all his hard work and tireless commitment to helping the Royal Surrey to “be the best that it can be”.

Paula Head (right) added: “My key priorities over the next few months will be to get to know and work with the staff to maintain the commitment to our patients for safe and effective care, while at the same time continuing with the good work that is already under way as part of the trust’s turnaround programme.

“I will also be working with the team to not just turnaround the organisation, but to transform the way we work so we can ensure a stable financial base and achieve operational excellence.”