The most senior nurse at the North and South Tees NHS hospital trusts is to leave her role early next year.

Chief nurse Dr Hilary Lloyd joined South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2021.

She was among a number of senior staff appointed to new group executive roles following a partnership agreement between South Tees and the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust signed in February, which formalised closer working ties into a new group structure.

Dr Lloyd is to take up a chief nursing role with the North East and Cumbria Integrated Board, the NHS body that plans and manages services for the region and is expected to depart in the New Year.

She qualified in 1989 and has held a number of nursing posts, including in acute health care, education and research.

Before joining South Tees, Dr Lloyd, who is a member of the group board of directors, served as the director of nursing, midwifery and quality at Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust.

A chief nurse has the highest level of nursing leadership in a hospital and has several responsibilities including patient experience, quality assurance, staff care and the development of procedure and policy.

Earlier this year Lindsey Roberston, Dr Lloyd’s previous equivalent at North Tees, left her role in the wake of the restructuring which saw the creation of University Hospitals Tees.

At the time trust bosses, who have congratulated Dr Lloyd on her move, said consultations had been taking place with staff at an executive level with the aim of “retaining as much talent in both trusts as possible and to transition in a safe and proactive way”.

A new group board, chaired by Professor Derek Bell, met for the first time in April, its role being to oversee the development and delivery of a joint clinical strategy and the “joint exercising of functions” where necessary.

Changes have been made to the constitutions of both trusts to align them as much as possible, although it has been stressed each one remains a statutory organisation in its own right.

Group chief executive Stacey Hunter said: “This regional leadership role is a great achievement for Hilary who has given so much to our nursing and allied health professional teams over the past four years. 

“Sadly, this means we will lose Hilary when she takes up her new post in the New Year, but we will look forward to continuing to work with her closely in her new role.”