The appointment is designed to bring greater alignment between the trusts and build upon recent collaboration, which has included development of two Rehabilitation and Recovery Units, led by the community teams on both hospital sites, together with Virtual Ward and Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT) services.

Patricia Davies, chief executive at Shropshire Community Health Trust, said: ‘This is a really positive move as having a chair in common enables us to leverage all the benefits of working clinically together particularly around sub-acute care. Whilst also recognising the wider reach that community services offer to the population of STW, The Black Country and borders.'

Louise Barnett, chief executive of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: ‘This is an exciting opportunity to deliver greater alignment and collaboration across our two organisations, which importantly will improve care for patients through more integrated care and our focus on delivering care closer to home.'