KATIE Norton has been appointed chief executive of Gloucestershire Care Services (GCS) NHS Trust. 

Katie a wealth of experience in NHS leadership roles, including chief executive positions at Neath Port Talbot Health Board and North Somerset Primary Care Trust.

In her current role at Deloitte, Katie is responsible for leading a health and social care transformation team, working on a number of major engagements across the UK to support significant strategic and operational challenges.

Making the appointment, Ingrid Barker, trust chair, said: "Following the announcement by our current chief executive Paul Jennings of his retirement at the end of the year, the Trust has been working hard to find a successor to take the Trust forward from 2017.

"I have been committed to finding the best candidate for this role, and we're delighted to appoint Katie as chief executive.

"Her experience across all aspects of the NHS will be a real strength for delivering a compelling vision and strategy for the Trust, as well as achieving an improved and more sustainable health and social care system with our partners across Gloucestershire”.

Katie said: “I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to have been selected as the new chief executive at Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust.

"While it is clear that the NHS is having to navigate unprecedented challenges driven by increasing demand and a tough economic environment, it has been really inspiring to see the Trust’s continued focus on delivering high quality services to Gloucestershire’s population.

"It’s also very encouraging to see the strength of collaboration and partnership with the whole health and social care system across the county.

"I will be determined to build on this as I firmly believe that community services must be at the heart of a sustainable health and social care system.”

Paul Jennings joined GCS as an interim chief executive in July 2013 before taking on the role full-time in December that year.

After nearly 40 years in the NHS and two decades in senior and chief officer roles, Paul will be retiring at the end of December 2016.

Ingrid said: “Paul will be a hard to act to follow but part of his legacy will be the quality of the team, the strength of relationships and the depth of organisational ambition that Katie will inherit.”

Katie will join the Trust in early January 2017.