A CONSULTANT ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon is believed to have become the first clinician in the borough to be elected as the national lead for a medical speciality.

Professor Nirmal Kumar is the new president elect of ENT UK, a professional membership body that represents ear, nose and throat and its related specialities.

It represents more than 1,300 medical practitioners, including surgeons, trainees and audiologists.

Prof Kumar, director of medical education at the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the borough's hospitals, will be the president elect of ENT UK from this month to 2019.

He will succeed Brian Bingham as president from 2019 to 2021.

Andrew Foster, chief executive of the trust, said: “This really is an extraordinary achievement which reflects his tremendous all-round clinical and personal skills.

"I cannot think of any, present or past, medical figure from the Wigan borough who has achieved such a high distinction."

In addition to his work with the trust Prof Kumar leads the north west clinical research network for ENT and is an honorary professor at Edge Hill University.

He is also a fellow of the Academy of Medical Educators and is vice chairman and Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration lead on the specialist advisory committee for otolaryngology, advising the General Medical Council on training standards in the speciality.

Prof Kumar said: "It is my continuing privilege to represent the trust on the national and international stage, both in my speciality of otolaryngology (ENT) and within the generality of surgery.

"I wish to thank Andrew Foster and Sanjay Arya at the trust for their immediate support when I considered standing a few weeks ago.”