Dame Marianne Griffiths to lead North East Ambulance inquiry

Dame Marianne Griffiths will chair an inquiry into the North East Ambulance Service

A former hospital boss will lead an inquiry into an ambulance service's "tragic failings".

Dame Marianne Griffiths, who was chief executive of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, will chair a review of North East Ambulance Service (NEAS).

The NHS inquiry was announced by Health Secretary Sajid Javid amid claims paramedics covered up details of patient deaths.

No timeframe has been set.

NHS England said Dame Marianne, who retired from Sussex earlier this year, would chair the review which was "initiated after concerns were raised about the quality of information supplied to coroners" by the ambulance service.

Questions about NEAS were first raised by the Sunday Times, with allegations the service withheld details from coroners in more than 90 cases between 2018 and 2019.

The ambulance service previously said it would "welcome independent scrutiny".