Ruth Winterbottom has been appointed chair of Lancashire Ambulance Service trust. She was previously a non-executive director of North West Lancashire health authority.

Ms Winterbottom retired from Lancashire Constabulary, having reached the rank of superintendent.

Gail Findlay has been appointed director of Camden and Islington health action zone. She is currently director of Bedfordshire health promotion agency, the health-promoting arm of Bedfordshire health authority, and was involved in putting together the Luton HAZ bid. She takes up her new post in January.

Southern Birmingham Community Health trust has announced that Theresa Samuels has been re-appointed as chair. Two non-executive directors, Paul Tilsley and Reverend Canon Frederick Collins, have been reappointed as non-executive directors.

The Association of Management/International Association of Management has appointed Mansour Jumaa as co-chair of its health care management division - the first time such an appointment has come from outside the UK. He is currently principal lecturer in healthcare management at Middlesex University.

The NHS Confederation has a new policy manager. Jane Austin will be working on issues facing primary care and on mental health and public involvement. She was previously a project manager at Dorset health authority, working on national service frameworks and commissioning for public health.

Sue Towns, former director of the Greater London Association of Community Health Councils, has been appointed project development officer for the Patients Forum.

Nick Jenkins, a 24 year old medical student at London's Imperial College School of Medicine, has been elected chair of the British Medical Association's medical students committeee.

Keith Nieland has been appointed chief executive of Aylesbury Vale Healthcare trust.

Mr Nieland has worked in healthcare for 31 years and for the past four years has been director of quality and risk management at the trust.