A new Director of Medical Education has been announced for Epsom Hospital.

Ashraf Raja will take responsibility for the teaching, training and educational supervision of clinical staff at the hospital, including 80 junior doctors and the consultants who train them.

Mr Raja, from Cheam, is the hospital trust's lead doctor for endoscopy and clinical audit and has worked there for more than 10 years.

He said: "Epsom is my local hospital and the doctors we are training now might end up treating my family in future.

"Epsom is a fantastic hospital to train in: we treat patients with a wide range of different medical and surgical conditions, and have many highly qualified consultants with years of experience to learn from.

"There are a number of real advantages to being in a teaching hospital, for patients and staff alike, because we carry out regular audits of our work. It also means that, as doctors, we are always studying the latest techniques, are quick to learn about advancements in medicine and treatment, and are forward-looking in how we provide the best possible care to our patients.

"During these times of change, both in the NHS nationally and locally in our hospitals, education and training should remain at the forefront of maintaining good standards of patient care."