Health Minister Lesley Griffiths has announced the appointment of Ms. Maria Battle from Tenby as chair of Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board. She succeeds Mr. David Francis when he stands down on March 31.

Lesley Griffiths said: "I am very pleased that Maria has decided to use her considerable skills and experience to contribute to the NHS in Wales.

"The Health Service in Wales faces a range of challenges, including a rising elderly population, health inequalities, more people with chronic conditions, medical staffing pressures and some specialist services being spread too thinly.

"The experience of this appointment will help us as we implement the changes necessary to meet those challenges, as outlined in our five-year vision for the NHS in Wales, Together for Health."

Maria is the senior director of Consumer Focus Wales where she is the leader of the independent consumer rights champion with the focus on vulnerable consumers. Maria was formerly the deputy/acting children's commissioner for Wales and director of Age Concern Ceredigion.