Trish Armstrong-Child has been appointed the new chief executive of Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust.

She is currently the deputy chief executive and director of nursing at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.

During her six years there, she played a key role in shaping the organisation into one recently rated by the Care Quality Commission as “good” overall and “outstanding” for leadership at all levels.

Trish, who was inspired to become a nurse by her mum’s work as a health care assistant in a nursing home, qualified as a registered general nurse in 1992.

She completed her training at Whiston hospital, Lancashire, and worked at other North West trusts as staff nurse, sister and matron. She went on to hold senior positions in nursing and NHS operational management, including deputy director of operations at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust. She joined the board of Bolton in 2013.

In 2018, Trish was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Bolton for her “outstanding contribution to health care”. Bolton has strong links with the university and she worked with them to establish a pre-registration nursing degree. In awarding the honour, the university said she had quadrupled the places open to nursing students.

She was awarded a MBE for services to nursing in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List.

Commenting on her appointment, Trish said: “I am delighted to be joining Southport and Ormskirk as chief executive. Hailing from Lancashire and living locally, I am excited about the opportunity to lead the next stage of development for the Trust, putting community interests and patient care at the forefront of what we do.”

Trust Chair Neil Masom said: “I want to congratulate Trish on her appointment and look forward to welcoming her to the Trust. She was appointed from a very strong field of candidates, further showing what an attractive place Southport and Ormskirk now is for talented individuals at all levels wanting to develop in their NHS careers.”

Trish’s start date with the Trust will be announced shortly. She succeeds Silas Nicholls who is moving to Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust where long-standing chief executive Andrew Foster retires at the end of October.