ANDREW Gold has been appointed chairman of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.

He joined the board as a non-executive director in June, 2016, and became deputy chairman last summer.

Since the autumn he has been acting chairman, following the resignation of Michael Luger.

Mr Gold – a qualified accountant – has spent his career in financial services, including 12 years with the Skipton Building Society Group.

He is a non-executive director of the Silsden-based Ecology Building Society and a member of Craven College's audit committee.

And he is treasurer of Craven Ramblers and a member of Skipton Rotary Club.

Mr Gold said it was "an honour and privilege" to be appointed trust chairman.

He added: "There is an excellent team in place, focused on delivering high-quality services and embracing innovation to enable Airedale to move forward and continue to be well respected locally, regionally and nationally.

"Living locally, I am very proud of what Airedale has achieved.

"As a trust we are committed to continuous improvement so we offer the best possible healthcare service to the population we serve."

Lead governor Jerry Stanford welcomed the appointment.

He added: "The governors look forward to working with Andrew as the trust moves into a new chapter of its history.

"We know we will continue to enjoy the fruitful relationship we experienced with him in his previous role as deputy chairman."