A DOCTOR from Heaton has been charged with a key role in a prestigious health institute.

Dr John Dean, who is deputy medical director and consultant physician at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, has been appointed as a clinical lead at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).

Dr Dean, who has previously worked at the Bolton HS Foundation Trust and Royal Bolton Hospital, said: "I am delighted to have been appointed to this role. The Royal College of Physicians has 33,000 members and fellows in the UK and across the world who work as physicians delivering and improving services in 30 specialities.

"I will be leading a growing team within the college that will develop new ways to support these physicians and their patients to continually improve care.

"I aim to bring much of the good practice we see back to East Lancashire, and continue to share the great work that we do here too."

Educated in England, Wales and the United States, Dr Dean is a consultant physician in acute medicine and community diabetes and has been deputy chair of the advancing quality alliance, the North West NHS quality improvement organisation, since 2011.

Currently working across the Pennine Lancashire health economy, leading service improvement as part of the ‘Together a Healthier Future’ project, he joined the Trust in 2011 after following a career at Bolton and Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

He will now split his time between East Lancashire and his RCP duties at its Quality Improvement Hub which helps the development of training and education in quality improvement.

In addition to publishing more than 30 peer reviewed publications, editorials and reports, Dr Dean has been closely involved in the development of Year of Care, is a member of the specialist advisory group to the national clinical director for diabetes and established the diabetes and obesity research network.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust medical director, Dr Damian Riley, said: "On behalf of everyone at the trust, we offer our wholehearted congratulations to John as he is appointed to serve on one of the UK’s most influential medical bodies.

"John has made an outstanding contribution to the progress achieved by the trust in recent years. It is an honour to work alongside him and further proof that the high quality healthcare provided by our staff is recognised at a national level."