EAST Lancashire hospitals have recruited a new chief nurse from one of the best NHS trusts in the country.

Christine Pearson will take charge of nursing at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals following the departure of Lynn Wissett.

She has been a divisional director of nursing at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust since 2011, where she has focused on patient safety initiatives within community services.

Salford is one of the top trusts in England and was recently selected to help Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust out of special measures.

Mrs Wissett, who was also deputy chief executive of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, announced her retirement in July, just hours before inspectors published a highly-critical report of the way the organisation had been run.