Tackling obesity and alcohol priorities for Wolverhampton

Jeremy Vanes was last week confirmed as the permanent chairman, after a stint in temporary charge.

He will chair board meetings and continue to sit on the Wolverhampton City Board and the Children's Trust Board. Mr Vanes, also chief executive of the Wolverhampton Citizens Advice Bureau, will be paid £40,000 a year as chairman of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross.

He has been appointed until September 2016, having until now been the interim chairman since Richard Harris' departure in December 2013.

Mr Vanes said he wanted to promote a wider understanding of 21st century nursing as part of his role.

"The trust is one of the city's biggest employers, providing a huge range of high quality services and continuing to build world class new medical facilities on its main site," he said.

"I would like to see us continuing to play an important role in the city's future by helping people lead healthy lives, particularly by tackling obesity and alcohol abuse.

"In addition to providing community and hospital services for the population of Wolverhampton the trust also provides a range of secondary and specialist services for a much wider population.

"This will increase when Cannock Chase Hospital integrates with the trust on November 1 as part of the transfer of services currently provided by Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust, presenting an exciting stage in the trust's ongoing development."

That proposal will see New Cross move all non-emergency surgery to Cannock as part of a radical £30m takeover. Free shuttle buses will ferry patients between the two hospitals.

Mr Vanes added: "I would also like to promote a wider understanding of 21st century nursing, which acknowledges the role, values and contribution of modern nurses, because we continue to recruit qualified and experienced nurses in order to strengthen our services."