A NEW chief operating officer has been appointed at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

Jon Green will come to the county from Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where he currently holds the position of deputy chief operating officer.

He will start at West Suffolk in June and replaces Gwen Nuttall, who left the trust last year for a position in the Midlands.

A hospital spokeswoman said the 46-year-old has worked in the NHS since 2005 and brings with him extensive management experience.

He will be responsible for day-to-day operations at the hospital and will sit on the trust board as an executive director.

Previously a lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy, Mr Green joined the NHS as part of the national “gateway to leadership” programme, which aims to bring the most talented and experienced managers into the NHS from external organisations.

His first position was at London’s Whittington Hospital where he progressed to general manager before moving to Kettering, a 600-bedded district general hospital, in September 2011.

Stephen Graves, chief executive of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to have appointed Jon as our new chief operating officer following a rigorous interview process. He brings with him a wealth of NHS management experience which will bring huge benefits to West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

“Jon’s appointment represents a further strengthening of the trust’s senior leadership team and we are very pleased to have someone of his calibre joining us. He has exactly the right set of skills and experience to meet the operational challenges we currently face and assist us in continuing to deliver safe, high quality services which represent the best value for money for our patients.

“We look forward to working closely with Jon over the coming months and years as we find ways to further improve the services we provide for everyone who uses West Suffolk Hospital.”