SAVE OUR HOSPITALS: The part-time directors to decide Worthing Hospital's fate

Brian Angers, Margaret Bamford, Jean Barclay, David King, the Rev Malcolm Liles, Norman Robson and acting chairman Barbara Wilkins sit on the PCT board and are each paid 7,598 a year.

Four of them came under fire in June when they failed to turn up at the PCTs extraordinary meeting in Worthing to shape the county's hospital services in years to come.

Jean Barclay, David King, Mr Liles and Barbara Wilkins sent their apologies.

The three who did turn up were able to vote on the decision to launch the public consultation on three options, which will leave the county with just one major general hospital.

At the time, East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton said: "The decision to go ahead with the consultation was taken almost exclusively by the professional executive members on the board because just three non-executive directors turned up at the meeting out of seven."

West Sussex PCT is a public body with a board led by acting chairman Barbara Wilkins and chief executive John Wilderspin. It is responsible for the whole of West Sussex covering an area of 782 square miles.

With a population of 762,000, 95 GP practices and a budget of over 1billion for 2007/2008 this makes it the fourth largest PCT in the country.

The PCT board also includes finance director Neil Ferrelly, public health and well-being director, Farhang Tazhib, strategy director, Sara Weech, professional executive committee chairman Dr Andrew Foulkes, professional executive committee nurse member, Sue Dewar and professional executive committee GP member Dr Alison Smith.

JEAN BARCLAY lives in Worthing and is a freelance consultant.

Her background is in charity management, including posts in the RNIB, RNID, NSPCC and the Refugee Council.

Jean was director of the long-term Medical Conditions Alliance from 2001 to 2002 and is currently the chairman of Charities Evaluation Services.

THE Rev Malcolm Liles lives in Crawley and is married with four children, one still at school. He has been the rector of St John the Baptist in Crawley for the last eight years and has considerable experience in local government as a borough councillor.

In 2003, he quit the Labour Party over the war with Iraq and stood against them in Crawley's local elections for the Green Party. But although he wasn't elected, he split the vote in Southgate ward and Labour lost the seat to the Conservatives.

Mr Liles was chairman of Crawley PCT for the last four years, but has been involved in NHS governance since 1985, through Grimsby Health Authority, Weston Park Hospital NHS Trust and South Downs NHS Trust.

DAVID KING was born and brought up in West Sussex. He is married with two young children. As a result of his daughter's disabilities, he claims to have extensive experience of the NHS at all levels.

David has spent 25 years working in the financial sector and has significant senior management experience of change and business transformation. He was also a borough councillor for Worthing.

BARBARA Wilkins worked in the family building business after a career in teaching and bringing up her two children, She was chairman of Worthing Community Health Council from 1999 until 2002 and a member since 1996.

Barbara set up and chaired the Friends of Henfield Medical Practice from 1995 to 1999. In 2002, she was appointed as non-executive director of the Horsham and Chanctonbury Primary Care Trust and in 2003 was elected as chairman.

During this time, Barbara was actively involved as non-executive lead for the Primary Care Trust's public involvement programme. This included working extensively with a range of voluntary and carer organisations.

She is currently acting chairman for West Sussex Primary Care Trust.

BRIAN ANGERS is a chartered accountant, with extensive commercial and finance experience in a major international group of companies in the transport, leisure and construction/engineering industries.

Married, with two young sons, he moved to Storrington four years ago from Berkshire, where he had served as a non-executive director of the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust for four years until September, 2006. He is chairman of the audit and assurance committee of the West Sussex PCT.

NORMAN ROBSON joined Midland Bank on its graduate 'fast track' programme. He took his first management job with the bank and became secretary and PA to the chief general manager.

Senior management responsibilities included area director and corporate banking area manager. On retirement, Norman was an NHS complaints panel chairman from 1999 to 2004. He was subsequently appointed an independent panel member for the Post Medical Education Training Board.

Outside of his career, he played rugby at a senior level and is chairman of a major charity with a 40million a year turnover. Norman is married with three adult children and lives in Sidlesham.

MARGARET Bamford from Findon has been a non-executive director and vice-chairman of the former Adur, Arun and Worthing Teaching Primary Care and also continues to hold a number of voluntary posts in the voluntary and statutory sector.

She is chairman of the Leaves of Hope charity, which works with families and children in crisis in Belarus.

Margaret enjoyed a career in social services spanning 37 years, retiring as assistant director of social services at West Sussex County Council in 2001.

ARE you happy these non-executive directors will play a major part in the hospital downgrading decision making process?