THE North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has announced the appointment of a new chief executive.

Current boss Derek Cartwright announced his retirement earlier this year and will be replaced in the spring by Daren Mochrie.

Mr Mochrie is currently the chief executive of the South East Coast Ambulance Service and was appointed following an intensive recruitment process which took place in the summer, involving commissioners, non-executive directors and external representatives.

He has worked for the NHS since he was 17 and has extensive experience of managing ambulance services in both rural and urban settings.

Prior to joining South East Coast Ambulance Service, Mr Mochrie was director of operations for the Scottish Ambulance Service and the lead for ambulance provision in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

He has also held the position of specialist advisor with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), leading four recent CQC inspections of ambulance trusts in England.

NWAS chairman, Wyn Dignan, said: “We’re very pleased to be welcoming Daren to the trust, he has a wealth of experience within the NHS, and in particular the ambulance sector, and we look forward to continuing to provide the best care for our patients under Daren’s leadership.”