THE boss of East Lancashire’s main hospitals trust is in line for a top health service honour, just two years after joining the organisation.

Kevin McGee, the chief executive of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, is in line for the distinction in a national awards round-up from the Health Services Journal.

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The 54-year-old will be vying for the ‘chief executive of the year’ gong at the trade publication’s annual gathering in London in November.

He joined the trust, which oversees the Royal Blackburn, Burnley General, Accrington Victoria and Pendle Community and Clitheroe Community hospitals, only weeks after they had been taken out of special measures.

Just over a year later the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General were rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission.

Reacting to his nomination, Mr McGee said: “To be honest, I’m very surprised as the NHS has some fantastic chief executives who work incredibly hard, so to be seen as one of the best is humbling.

“I consider myself one part of a very large of team at the trust and being shortlisted for this award is down to everybody that works with me.

“It has been a team effort to make the trust a great healthcare provider so I would simply like to say thank you to everybody for their continued hard work and support.”

The trust was also said to be ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ by 81 per cent of patients who took part in a recent NHS in-patients survey.

An acute medical unit has been opened and Burnley General is set to see a new ophthalmology and out-patients unit constructed.

Mr McGee, originally from the Wirral, was formerly chief executive of the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in Nuneaton.