in person

Jane Burtoft has been appointed director of human resources at Leeds Community and Mental Health Services Teaching trust.

She moves from the post of deputy director of human resources at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals trust.

Nigel Edwards, policy director of the NHS Confederation, has been appointed an honorary visiting professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Dorset Healthcare trust has appointed former building society managing director Michael Parkinson as chair.He was formerly vice-chair of Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals trust.

Jacqui Comber has been made director of business and performance at the national primary care development team.She was previously business manager at Greater Manchester Ambulance Service.

The chairs of six new primary care trusts in County Durham and Darlington have been named.Sandra Pollard, chair of Darlington NSPCC, will chair Darlington PCT. Former nurse and lecturer Anne Beeton will chair Durham Dales PCT.Keith Murray-Hetherington, a member of the NHS tribunal and a magistrate, will chair Derwentside PCT, and Alan Gray, a member of South Durham health authority for 10 years, chairs Sedgefield PCT.Penelope Young, former health manager for the New Zealand national cervical cancer screening programme, who has also been a radio broadcaster, will chair Easington PCT, and Lady Ann Calman, a former non-executive director of Western Infirmary trust, will chair Durham and Chester-leStreet PCT.

Dr Peter Harper, a cancer specialist at Guy's and St Thomas'Hospital, has been appointed clinical lead for cancer research for the South East London cancer network.

Mike O'Donovan, GlaxoSmithKline's vice-president for strategic management and planning for consumer healthcare, has been appointed the new chief executive of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.