A HOSPITAL trust has defended its use of headhunters in appointing four new members to its board of directors.

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust paid headhunting company Odgers Berndtston to find someone to chair its audit committee after looking to refill the post since May 2008.

It also asked the company to find three more non-executive directors to replace Jim Addison, who resigned in protest at the sacking of hospital trust chairman Richard Bourne, as well as Dr Penny Kavanagh and Ian Pettitt, whose contracts expire on April 30.

It has refused to say how much the service cost taxpayers.

Mark Prentice, a hospital spokesman, said: “The trust had tried every trick in the book to get a chair of the audit committee and been unsuccessful, despite a huge amount of effort.

“With the help of Odgers Berndtston we have four first-class non-executive directors.

“We have been told it was the best single response to a recruitment campaign Odgers had known.

“The chairman and chief executive are extremely pleased with the outcome.

“The view is Odgers have contributed enormously.”

Mike Baker, a retired accountant, from West Bergholt, will now chair the trust’s audit committee.

He was BP’s chief financial officer and IT director until he retired in 2003.

Sir John Ashworth and Dr Gordon Coutts will also take up posts on the board.

Sir John, from Wivenhoe, is a former Government adviser, university vice-chancellor and chairman of Barts and the London NHS Trust.

Dr Coutts, from Ashen, near Sible Hedingham, is a qualified doctor and former managing director of a pharmaceutical firm.

They will be joined by Sally Irvine, from Aldeburgh, in Suffolk, who was the first chair of Newcastle City Health NHS Trust, and is currently a member of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence and the Independent Selection and Appointments Board of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

The four start work on May 1.

They will each receive an annual income of £11,000, but Mr Baker will receive an additional £3,000 for his role as chairman of the audit committee.

The appointments are for an initial three years, subject to appraisals, but may be renewed for up to six years.

Sir Peter Dixon, trust chairman, said: “I look forward to working with all four of them.”