Kate Bleasdale, the Executive Vice-Chairman of Healthcare Locums who was suspended yesterday by her Board of Directors together with Diane Jarvis pending the outcome of an internal investigation into what the board called 'serious accounting irregularities' has hit back.

Although the company gave no further details, The Telegraph newspaper speculates that the investigation will look back to March 2010 when Healthcare Locums' shares plunged 30 per cent after it restated the prior year's accounts.

In response to her suspension, The Independent newspaper carried a quote from Bleasdale saying "I am shocked and disappointed by the board's decision. I dispute the suggestions made by the company and will seek to be reinstated as soon as possible. My focus has always been, and remains, the interests of the business and its shareholders."

Rival newspaper, The Guardian printed a more vigorous response. "I'm going to fight this. It is absolutely trashing my reputation. Why are they doing it? Nobody from the company has spoken to me. The first I knew of this was when an adviser rang me [on Monday night] and then seeing the announcement. I'm absolutely gutted."

The suspension is not Kate Bleasdale's first career setback. In 2002, she departed the previous company she founded, Match Group, on unamicable terms and subsequently received the largest out of court settlement for sex discrimination and unfair dismissal in the UK (thought to be 2.2 million Pounds). And at the beginning of this month it emerged that marketing recruitment firm Xchangeteam had filed a writ against Ms Bleasdale accusing her of breach of fiduciary duty during her time on the Company's board. The accusation relates to Ms Bleasdale and her husband buying a direct rival to Xchangeteam without informing the company of her actions. The case is ongoing and Ms Bleasdale denies any liability.

Ms Bleasdale is reported to hold a near 10 per cent stake in Healthcare Locums while other shareholders include Tosca, Lloyds, JP Morgan, USG and Credit Suisse.