DORSET HealthCare has made a series of appointments to bolster its senior management team.

The trust provides a range of health services across the county including community health, mental health, learning disability, addictions, community brain injury, community dental and some primary care services.

It also operates the county’s 12 community hospitals.

The eight new appointments to the organisation aim to build on recent improvements that saw regulator Monitor close its investigation into the trust.

Fiona Haughey who has been appointed director of nursing and quality, will be joined by three locality directors – Linda Boland, Sally O’Donnell and Eugine Yafele.

Fiona said: “My role is to ensure that patients and service users are at the heart of all we do and I’m delighted to be part of this new leadership team.”

Four new non-executive directors have also been appointed to the board.

John McBride, Sarah Murray, Peter Rawlinson and Nick Yeo will work with the existing non-executive directors to oversee the strategic direction of the trust.

Trust chief executive Ron Shields said: “Dorset HealthCare is on a journey of improvement that demands a dynamic and innovative leadership team with a diversity of skills and experience.

“I believe we now have that team in place, which gives me confidence that we can become an exemplary NHS organisation serving local people.”