King George and Queen’s hospitals' most senior doctor is to be seconded to another east London trust.

Magda Smith, currently chief medical officer at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), has been appointed group deputy chief medical officer at Barts Health.

Professor Alistair Chesser, group chief medical officer at Barts, which runs five hospitals across Newham, Tower Hamlets and the City of London, called the appointment "a sign of the growing collaboration between our two organisations".

Senior roles across the trusts are being made open to staff of both trusts, and Prof Chesser said they "expect to see increasing cross-fertilisation in both directions over time".

Matthew Trainer, chief executive at BHRUT, for whom Ms Smith will continue to work as a consultant gastroenterologist, said the appointment was “great news” for the collaboration between the two trusts.

Earlier this month, Jacqui Smith, chair-in-common for the two trusts, denied the plans signalled a “mega-merger”.

BHRUT will recruit a replacement chief medical officer in the new year, it said.