Roberts began his career in the health service as a management trainee and has since held NHS management roles at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, as well as Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Foundation Trust – in areas ranging from trauma and orthopaedics to theatres, anaesthetics and critical care.

Following a period in the private sector – advising on health management with top consultancy Ernst & Young in New Zealand – Roberts returned to the NHS in August 2020, as director of operations for Walsall Healthcare.

He later progressed to deputy chief operating officer, before being successfully appointed to the acting chief operating officer role.

Roberts said: 'I am excited to be moving into the chief operating officer role. It is a privilege to work with a dedicated team across the organisation, and wider group, who are focused on delivering high-quality care for our patients.

'I look forward to supporting and leading our staff to enhance patient care and deliver operational excellence.'

During Roberts' tenure to date, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust has opened a new £40m Urgent and Emergency Care Centre, becoming the first non-specialist NHS trust to introduce robot-assisted hip and knee replacement, and ranked consistently high in the national NHS Staff Survey as a place that staff would recommend as a place to work.

Caroline Walker, interim group chief executive of Walsall Healthcare and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, added: 'Will is already a valued colleague to staff across the organisation, and his experience within the trust gives him a real depth of knowledge of Walsall and its people. He will make an important contribution to the continued success of our trust.'

Roberts will take up his new role immediately.