THREE new non-executive directors have been appointed to the board of Herefordshire Primary Care Trust.

They are Susan Mead, Alan Curless and Paul Deneen whose names have been confirmed by the NHS Appointments Commission.

They have replaced former members John Chapman, Joanna Bruce and Christine Penning who stood down at the end of September.

The three will join board members Philip Ashurst, Diane Jones and Jane Rogers, who have been reappointed by the Commission. Non-executive directors are paid an honorarium of £7,500 a year.

New member Alan Curless has over 30 years management experience and was recently chief executive of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

Paul Deneen, a teacher at John Kyrle High School and Sixth Form Centre for more than 28 years, is a magistrate and Lay Inspector for the NHS Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. He has been involved in many public bodies, including chairing the independent board of visitors at Gloucester Prison and the advisory board of BBC Hereford and Worcester. Mr Deneen is chairman of the West Mercia Health Authority.

Susan Mead worked for the Audit Commission from 1997 until her retirement in 2004. She has held senior positions in local government and the Social Services Inspectorate and has considerable experience of children's services.

They all join another PCT board newcomer, Joanna Newton, who was recently appointed as the new chairman, taking over from Ted Willmot.

She described the trust as being one of the leading PCTs in the country which was a credit to the efforts of board members, managers and staff over the past six years. Mrs Newton said she was determined the board would continue to build on its success taking the trust forward into an exciting future.