THE new chairman of Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Trust is to be a Herefordshire mother of three young children.

It has been confirmed that Joanna Newton from Weobley will take up the post from September 1.

She has been appointed by the independent NHS Appointments Commission and will succeed former retired police officer Paul Leopold who has been in the chair for nearly three years.

Mrs Newton, who is aged 37 is currently a non executive director of Herefordshire Primary Care Trust, a position she will relinquish when she heads up the ambulance trust.

Her business background is in marketing, customer service and operations management in the pharmaceutical industry.

Mrs Newton, who lives in Weobley with her husband and three children, plans to meet many of those in the ambulance service when she visits ambulances stations in the two counties in the near future.

She says the Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Trust has over-achieved on the national performance targets in the last year.

It was excellent news and she wanted to congratulate staff on their performance.

She was keen to achieve the aims of the NHS Plan and would work closely with colleagues on the strategic direction of the Trust.

Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Trust employs 410 staff, has an annual budget of £12 million, 17 separate ambulance stations and provides a service for round 700,000 people in the two counties.