FAIRFIELD Hospital's new chief nurse has promised to involve staff in shaping the future.

Mrs Marian Carroll made the pledge as the new director of nursing for the Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust, during a frontline tour of the Rochdale Old Road complex this week.

The married mother-of-one joins the trust, responsible for Fairfield Hospital, from the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust where she was executive director of nursing and quality.

During her tour of Fairfield, she met nurses, nursing auxiliaries and other ward staff.

Mrs Carroll said: "I'm already very aware of much of the good work which has been done by the nursing teams in Fairfield and this has been reinforced by what I've heard directly from staff and their managers.

"The work being done here really is exceptional and I look forward to helping the teams build on this success."

She added: "Everyone knows that ward staff have an absolutely vital role in caring for our patients. But they also have a key part to play at a strategic level in helping us shape our broader policies and future direction.

"We need to make sure that we are taking account of the views and suggestions of staff on the wards: they are the people who know our patients best."