THE under-fire Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust has appointed a new board member.

Senior nurse Julie Dawes has been appointed new director of nursing and quality.

Southern Health has been condemned for failing to protect patients and properly investigate the deaths of hundreds of people in its care following the release of a damning report by health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Ms Dawes’ role will include improving services following the inspection and working closely with members of staff to uphold patient care.

She qualified as a nurse 35 years ago and and specialises in palliative, end-of-life care and oncology – working in Leeds until 1988 when she moved to the South to work in Southampton and Portsmouth.

A Southern Health statement reveals she has been chosen to provide “strong professional leadership” for nursing and Allied Health Professionals groups.

Ms Dawes said she is “excited” at the new role and said: “One of my personal priorities is to get out and about to hear directly from staff and patients about their concerns and feedback.”

She has already appointed a deputy director of nursing and quality to focus on working with the mental health and learning disability division and said: “There is a lot to do and I want to help ensure that changes happen quickly and are embedded in a sustainable way, to ensure our staff can carry on with their day to day roles comfortably alongside updated processes and ways of working.

She was previously director of nursing and operations and acting as the Deputy Chief Executive, for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.