hospital.

And both were optimistic about the hospital's future.

Consultant surgeon Dr. Clarence James and consultant physician Dr. John Patton replaced Dr. William Cooke and Dr. Wilbert Warner as chief of staff and chief of medicine, respectively.

Appointments to the positions, introduced three years ago as a part of restructuring at the hospital, are made every three years.

As chief of medicine, Dr. Patton will be accountable to Dr. James and the Hospitals Board.

He will oversee the quality of care provided by general practitioners and specialist staff in the Department of Medicine at the hospital.

Yesterday, Dr. Patton said looked forward to his new post.

"While we have some senior physicians who are just about to retire, we have a have a group of five to six young, healthy doctors coming in.'' He added that the recent re-organisation of hospital departments and the implementation of the hospital's quality surveillance system "seems to be successful''.

"It is more than just rhetoric,'' Dr. Patton said, "it is being practised.'' Dr. Patton is a graduate of Warwick Academy, Queen's University in Canada, and London University in England.

He was chairman of the Department of Medicine from 1977 to 1981 and has served on several hospital committees, including, rehabilitation services, nutrition support, and stroke unit.

Civic positions he has held include, chairman of Warwick Academy's Board of Governors and Bermuda Aided Schools Association.

Dr. James, who is a past president of the Bermuda Medical Society and the hospital's surgical staff division, is also no stranger to public service.

He has been chairman of Berkeley Institute's governing body, the Public Transportation Board, and an MP for Pembroke West Central from 1968 to 1989.

"I'm pleased to have the opportunity to serve as chief of staff and take advantage of the extensive administrative experience that I have had in public life over two decades.

"I hope to be able to maintain and elevate the high quality of medical care at the King Edward hospital through improved organisation of medical staff and related personnel.''