THE first appointment in the East of England Ambulance Service s senior management restructure has been made. David Donegan will take up his post as Chief Operating Officer in December and will have responsibility for all day-to-day operations of the Tru

THE first appointment in the East of England Ambulance Service's senior management restructure has been made.

David Donegan will take up his post as Chief Operating Officer in December and will have responsibility for all day-to-day operations of the Trust.

David is currently director of the Office of the Strategic Health Authorities and is a member of the NHS Management Board. During the last year, he has been responsible for overseeing the Emergency Services Review in England.

He has also worked in central and regional government as well as in the voluntary and private sectors.

He was deputy director for London Resilience between the two terrorist tragedies of 9/11 in New York and 7/7 in London and previously was regional Health Emergency Planning Advisor in London working with the London Ambulance Service and other organisation in the capital.

Chief executive Hayden Newton said: "I am delighted that David will be joining us. He brings with him a wealth of senior operational and command experience including the management of major incidents and his approach to delivering major transformation will be a real strength as he joins our board."

David said: "It is a privilege to be offered the chance to work with and support the team at the East of England Ambulance Service.

"I am looking forward to building on the progress made at the Trust, delivering an even better quality service for patients and commissioners.

"I have always enjoyed working with ambulance services and their staff who perform a crucial role in the NHS and I welcome the opportunity to do so again."

Prior to taking up his post on December 14, David is planning to visit the service and meet as many people as possible to increase his knowledge and understanding of the service and the challenges it faces.

Further senior management appointments will be announced as they are made.