THE temporary chief executive in charge of three West Kent hospitals has been given the job permanently.

Glenn Douglas, who was appointed interim chief executive of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in September last year, was appointed to the permanent post on Wednesday.

Trust chairman George Jenkins said: "I have had the opportunity to work with Glenn for some time now and have seen what an effective leader he is and how good he is at connecting with our staff and encouraging and inspiring them to do better."

He added: "There were a number of strong candidates who applied for the post but Glenn is in my view and view of the selection panel the best man to lead this trust forward at this crucial time in its history."

Mr Douglas said: "I have been working at the trust for some months now and during that time have been impressed by the hard work, commitment and effectiveness of staff.

"I am proud and delighted to be able to continue to work alongside such an excellent group of healthcare professionals and restore the Trust to its rightful place as one of the best providers of healthcare in the country."

Mr Douglas, who lives in Tunbridge Wells, took on the interim post the week a damning report by the Healthcare Commission was published, which revealed up to 90 people had died in two C-diff outbreaks at the trust.