The former editor of the Manchester Evening News has been appointed to a key NHS role in his former North-West patch.

Paul Horrocks, who left the newspaper last year after more than 12 years as editor, will become the chair of NHS Bury Primary Care Trust on 1 August.

He joined the paper in 1975 as a general news reporter and became its editor in 1997 but decided to leave last year to set up his own media and communications consultancy.

Paul, above left, was born in Bury and him and his four grown-up children all live and work in the borough.

He said: “I am privileged to be able to lead the National Health Service in Bury at such a critical time for public services.

“We are faced with an unprecedented challenge to continue to develop the quality and responsiveness of local services, whilst meeting the need to release efficiencies.

“The government’s recent White Paper provides opportunities for us to delegate real power to the clinicians who are the closest to local people – GPs.

“Notwithstanding that there are still some significant arrangements to be finalised nationally and locally, we will be ensuring that changes to the NHS system realise local benefits for the people of Bury.

“I will use the breadth of knowledge gained during my career and wider roles to challenge tradition and truly engage the population we serve.”

Paul will serve a four year term as chair and will receive an annual remuneration of £34,152.

He is a former president of the Society of Editors and was a member of the Press Complaints Commission for four years.

Paul was appointed to the board of governors of the University of Bolton earlier this year and is also a member of a number of community organisations.