The chief executive of Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust, John Nichols, has been forced out of his job by the creation of a single service stretching from Hampshire to Buckinghamshire.

His post will disappear when the service merges with those of Berkshire, Hampshire and Buckinghamshire on July 1 to become South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

The boss of the new service was yesterday named as William Hancock, currently chief executive of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance Paramedic Service NHS Trust (BHAPS).

Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust refused to say if Mr Nichols had applied for the top job in the new service, or if he would take a more junior role.

The new trust will be one of just 12 ambulance services in England, down from the current 29.

Oxford East Labour MP Andrew Smith said he had been assured that an Oxfordshire operations centre would be retained.