Patients in Brentwood, Billericay and Wickford are set to benefit from a boost in the number of nurse consultants for the NHS Eastern Region.

The move to create a further 22 posts, raising the total in the region to 35, was announced by Health minister Lord Hunt.

The South Essex Mental Health and Community Care NHS Trust is to gain a nurse consultant specialising in primary mental health and child and adolescent services.

Three new posts are also being created in the Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust, covering accident and emergency, colorectal services and gastroenterology.

The increase in the number of nurse consultants will help the Eastern Region carry out the Government's NHS Plan.

Lord Hunt said: "Good clinical leadership is central to the delivery of the NHS Plan. We need leaders who are willing to embrace and drive through the radical transformation in services that the NHS requires.

"Leaders are people who make things happen in ways that command the confidence of local staff. They are people who lead clinical teams, people who lead service networks, people who lead partnerships, and people who lead organisations."

Kate Phipps, director of nursing for the Eastern Region, added: "I am delighted that an extra 22 nurse consultant posts will be established within the Eastern Region.

"These posts will have the potential to make a real difference to patients, helping to improve quality in the NHS by identifying and targeting key areas.

"The nurse consultants will be strong clinical leaders who will work with their multi-disciplinary colleagues to develop existing services and target new areas of care."

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