Councillor, education supremo, member of Selby and York primary care groups, solicitor - and now this York woman is about to be appointed to another prestigious role.

Coun Janet Looker, of Clifton, is the first chairman-designate of the new Selby and York Primary Care Trust.

Thrilled at the news of her appointment, which will also cover Easingwold, she said: "I'm so excited about my new role. It gives me an opportunity to try and help create a Selby and York Trust that will be really good and positive for people.

"This is a real chance to make the new trust work."

Mrs Looker is a Labour councillor and executive member (chairman) of the education committee and was a member of the both the York and Selby Primary Health Care Trusts.

Aside from canvassing in Bishophill for a forthcoming by-election, 62-year-old Mrs Looker has decided to take semi-retirement from her position as matrimonial lawyer for Ison Harrison, in Bishopthorpe Road, but is keen to stress she will still be keeping her hand in.

She said: "I have been thinking about retiring for a while, and when the possibility of this job became an issue I pushed harder to reduce my work load. Now more of my time is freed up to concentrate on my new role.

"But it has to be said I'm not frightened by the amount of work that the new trust will need, especially at first.

"Besides, I don't believe it will make an awful lot of difference to my time because before I would have separate meetings for Selby and for York, now they are amalgamated."

Mrs Looker will take up her part-time post at the newly-acquired trust building next to the Monkgate Walk-In Centre next month. Although the new trust does not start functioning until April, she will be shadowing the role until then.

She will be responsible for chairing trust meetings and making sure that day-to-day strategy is being carried through by staff.

Her first job will be to appoint a chief executive of the trust. Of her long-term plans, she said: "I believe very passionately in health improvements. And by working with the local authority we can improve health care in our area."

The chairman is appointed by the Department of Health.

Updated: 10:50 Monday, January 22, 2001