Non-executive Directors
When appointing non-executive directors the NHS looks for people who can contribute to the improvement of their health services. It looks for those who have had significant or senior level experience in either finance; governance; or the commercial, voluntary or community sectors. And it may appoint people to the Board with specific expertise in relation to the work of the board such as human resources, customer focus, or change management.
Responsibilities of an NHS non-executive are:
- helping to plan for the future to improve healthcare services
- making sure that the management team meets its performance targets
- making sure that the finances of the organisation are managed properly with accurate information
- helping the board work in the public interest and keep its patients and the public properly informed
- serving on important board committees
See also our Board of Directors page.
To email any of the Trust's non-executive directors please click on their photo below. You can write to any of the Board of Directors or governors at our Trust's Headquarters address.
To find out more about our Trust Board including Declaration of interests, term of office, salary and pension entitlements download our latest Annual Report.
Dr Sally Irvine |
Chair Appointed: 1 August 2010 Term of office: Expires 31 July 2013 For the period 1 May to 31 July 2010, Sally was a non-executive director of the Trust. Chair of the Board of Directors, Members' Council, Nominations, Remuneration & Terms of Service committees. Member of the Members' Council's Appointments & Performance Committee. |
Sally was a former chair of Newcastle City Health NHS Trust, a community, mental health and regional services trust, and has for 15 years provided consultancy on organisational and human resource development for health care organisations, particularly in the primary care sector. She has previously been a member of the General Dental Council, the Law Society Council and the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Her wide experience of the health care and regulatory sectors is reflected in her current membership of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence and the Independent Appointments Selection Board of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Now living in Aldeburgh, Sally is a trustee of the Britten-Pears Foundation and Director of the Aldeburgh Cinema. She has a PhD from University of East Anglia. |
Helen Parr |
Deputy Chair Non-Executive Director Appointed: 1 December 2006; reappointed 1 December 2010 Term of office: Expires 30 November 2013 Chair of the Quality & Patient Safety Committee; member of the Finance & Commissioning, Remuneration & Terms of Service and Nominations committees. Helen's special interests in the Trust are in reputation management, workforce development and patient safety. |
Helen has held previous non-executive director roles in other parts of the Health Service as well as director level roles in education. She is a former Principal and Chief Executive of Colchester Institute and Oaklands College, Hertfordshire. Previously, she had worked in marketing and public relations in the engineering industry and then the tobacco industry. Helen is a self-employed management consultant working in education and public relations, and a local magistrate. She lives in West Mersea. |
Prof Christine Temple |
Non-Executive Director Appointed: 1 August 2010 Term of office: 31 July 2013 Member of the Audit & Risk, Performance and Remuneration & Terms of Services committees. |
Christine is professor of neuropsychology at the University of Essex. She was the Foundation Chair of the psychology department at the University of Essex and also has six years' experience as a pro-vice-chancellor on the university's senior executive group, leading the faculty of science & engineering. She has worked with the NHS throughout her career. Her research has addressed disorders of language and memory, working with diverse clinical populations, from shot injured war veterans to children with genetic disorders. Christine lives in Wivenhoe. |
Sir John Ashworth |
Non-Executive Director Appointed: 1 May 2010 Term of office: 30 April 2013 Chair of the Charitable Funds and Finance & Commissioning committees; member of the Quality & Patient Safety Committee. |
John is a retired academic with degrees in chemistry, biochemistry and cell biology. He has been professor of biology at the University of Essex, chief scientific advisor to the Government, vice chancellor of the University of Salford and director of the London School of Economics. He has held a number of non-executive director positions in the private and public sectors, including the NHS. He is currently president of the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics. He is a member of a number of organisations in Wivenhoe where he lives. |
Peter Wilson |
Non-Executive Director Appointed: 1 May 2011 Term of office:Expires 1 May 2014 Chair of the Finance & Commissioning Assurance Committee; member of the Performance Assurance Committee. |
Mr Wilson has extensive international experience gained from working in a number of UK and US public companies covering a broad range of engineering and manufacturing activities. In May he became Chairman of Crane Ltd, an Ipswich-based manufacturing company, of which he was Managing Director for more than 10 years. Since 2008, he has been a NED at EEF Ltd, a company that represents the views and interests of UK manufacturing companies to the Government and European Parliament. He is a former Chief Executive of Ransomes, an engineering company with factories in the UK, including Ipswich, and overseas. |
Jude Chin |
Non-Executive Director Appointed: 16 September 2011 Term of office:Expires 16 September 2014 Chair of the Trust's Audit & Risk Committee. |
Jude has extensive experience of working in the education sector on a voluntary basis. For example, for the past three years he has been a board member of The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and he is currently Vice Chair of Governors at The City Academy, Hackney, and The City of London Academy, Southwark. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, his background has been in professional services in a 30-year career with KPMG, 16 as a partner. The appointment is for an initial three years, subject to satisfactory annual appraisal, and may be renewed up to a maximum of six years. |
Tom Fleetwood |
Non-Executive Director Appointed: 2012 Term of office:Expires 2015 NED lead on sustainability. Member of the Performance Committee and the Quality and Patient Safety committee |
Tom retired from the Army in February 2012 after a 34 year career, the last three years of which were spent as the Commander of Colchester Garrison. His parents moved to Mersea Island in the early 1970s and he enlisted into the Army in Colchester in 1978. Following a year at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst his career took him all over the world including Germany, Belize, the Falkland Islands, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and Iraq. He thoroughly enjoyed his Army career and whilst Command of Colchester Garrison was a huge honour it was his 2 1/2 years as the Commanding Officer of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery that remains his most fond memory. In the latter part of his career his experience was directed towards strategic and doctrinal development within the Armed Forces followed by an increasing amount of work involving infrastructure and the management of resources in an ever demanding environment. He has extensive international experience and has worked on operations with the United Nations, NATO and the USA. |
