Paul Gocke has been appointed chief executive of the new North East London Menta l Hea lth trust , which will take over management of acute and community mental health services provided by BHB Health Care trust, Redbridge Health Care trust and Forest Healthcare trust.He has been deputy chief executive and director of operations at Redbridge Health Care trust since 1991.

North Cumbria health authority has appointed a new director of finance following the appointment of Heather McGrath as director of finance for Dumfries and Galloway primary care trust. Iain Crossley has worked in the NHS for six years and was executive director of finance at Newcastle and North Tyneside HA.

Gill Kelly has been appointed to work on a five-year programme of reform of the health service in Bangladesh.She will be leaving her job as general manager at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals trust to establish a management consultancy allowing her to do short-term work in Britain alongside her overseas work.

A chair and non-executive director have been named for Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals trust.Vijay Vasu, chair of Havering Hospitals trust, will chair the new organisation.

Yvonne Cornell, a non-executive director at BHB Community trust, has been appointed as the trust's first non-executive director.

Two non-executive directors have joined South Essex health authority. They are Eileen Simmons, a retired headteacher, and Professor Bernard de Neumann, a retired mathematician with a long career in industry, education and central government.

Linda Read has become chief executive of Darlington primary care group, taking over from Dr Meg Gilley. She was deputy chief executive of Walsall South PCG.

Obituary Maureen Clarke, a non-executive director of South Essex Mental Health and Community Care trust, died earlier this month. Trust chair Jai Tout said she was 'a lovely, caring woman who was immensely keen to make the most of her role'.

Keep us posted Please send details of senior appointments, indicating whether a photograph is available, to Lyn Whitfield at HSJ, Greater London House, Hampstead Road, London NW1 7EJ, or fax 020-7874 0254, or e-mail: lynw@healthcare.emap.co.uk Items are entered free but publication cannot be guaranteed.