A change at the top of the NHS Confederation has seen Dianne Jeffrey take over as chair. Ms Jeffrey, chair of Community Health Service North Derbyshire trust, has taken over from Catherine McLoughlin, who led the organisation for three years.

Ms Jeffrey chairs the NHS Confederation's policy advisory committee on primary care and is a member of the government's modernisation action team for partnership. Confederation chief executive Stephen Thornton said Ms McLoughlin 'brought with her the benefits of a long and illustrious career in the health service'.