Morris, currently chief nursing officer and deputy group chief nursing officer at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, will join the group, which includes Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (ShropCom) and The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), in June.

Jo Williams, group chief executive, said: ‘I am delighted to welcome Martina to our group this summer. Martina's experience, authenticity and compassion for patients and colleagues shines through.

‘We are committed to becoming the best organisations to receive care and work. Martina's leadership and values will empower our colleagues to accelerate our quality, education and cultural improvement, as we strive towards excellence for our communities.'

Morris, who has nearly 30 years of nursing and leadership experience, including in critical care, said: ‘Becoming a group is a fantastic opportunity to grow our community offer to deliver more care closer to people's homes, help everyone have the best start in life and live healthier for longer. I am keen to ensure that as a group we listen to patients, families, communities and partners as we continue to further build an NHS that we can all be proud of.'