Chairs of four new health and social care bodies announced
Tuesday, 9 December 2008The establishment of the four new Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations have moved a step further today with the appointment of the Chairs (Designate).
The Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, has made the following appointments:
- Dr Ian Clements - Regional Health and Social Care Board;
- Ms Mary McMahon - Regional Agency for Public Health and Social Well-being;
- Mr Alexander Coleman - Regional Business Services Organisation;
- Mr John Keanie - Patient and Client Council.
Each of the appointments are effective from 1 December 2008 for a four year term.
Commenting on the appointments, the minister said: “The appointments I have made represent a significant step in the establishment of the new organisations. I have every faith that each of the chairs demonstrates the leadership, commitment and enthusiasm needed to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of all the people of Northern Ireland.
“I congratulate each of the chairs on their appointments and very much look forward to working with them in tackling the challenges we face. The agenda ahead of us is a busy one. As a service we must ensure we become more patient and client centred and more responsive to local needs. We must be efficient and continually strive to drive up performance. And we must begin to seriously tackle the health inequalities that are still rife in our society.
“The new chairs will be integral to delivering this reform programme within health and social care, leading their respective organisations and working in partnership with others.”
Notes to Editors:
1. The Review of Public Administration was launched by the Northern Ireland Executive in June 2002 to deliver wide-ranging and comprehensive modernisation and reform across the public sector.
2. For Health and Social Care Services in Northern Ireland, there were two major phases involved in the Review of Public Administration, the first being the establishment of the five new integrated Health and Social Care Trusts and the retention of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Trust with effect from 1 April 2007. The second phase included establishing new organisational arrangements to replace the present four Health and Social Services Boards, four Health and Social Services Councils and a number of agencies. Following consultation, the minister decided to establish four new Health and Social Care bodies which are:
The Regional Health and Social Care Board (RHSCB);
The Regional Agency for Public Health and Social Well-Being (RAPHSW);
The Regional Business Services Organisation (RBSO); and
The Patient and Client Council (PCC).
3. Role of each organisation
The Role of the RHSCB and board membership
The Regional Health and Social Care Board will replace the four existing Health and Social Services Boards and its core focus will reflect the principles of good governance, the quality of care for patients and clients, accountability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness. The main functions of the RHSCB will be; commissioning; performance management and improvement; and the effective, economic and efficient utilisation of allocated resources for the commissioning of health and social care. In addition, other than those functions allocated to the new Regional Agency for Public Health and Social Well-Being, the appropriate statutory functions currently carried out by the four HSS Boards will be undertaken by the new RHSCB.
The board of the RHSCB will be made up of five executive directors including the Chief Executive, a non-executive Chair and seven non-executive directors. The non-executive directors include a member from a medical background, a member from a nursing background, a trade union member and four lay members.
The Role of the RAPHSW and board membership
The Regional Agency for Public Health & Social Well-Being will be an integral part of the Health and Social Care system and will drive the public health and social well-being agenda. It will bring together the wide range of existing public health functions and give a renewed, enhanced and sustained focus to achieving key public health goals. The broad functions of the agency will be; health improvement; health protection; and provision of appropriate professional input to the commissioning role of the RHSCB.
The board of the RAPHSW will be made up of four executive directors including the chief executive, a non-executive chair and seven non-executive directors. The non-executive directors include a member from a social care background; a trade union member, two local government members and three lay members.
The Role of the RBSO and board membership
The Regional Business Services Organisation will provide a broad range of support functions for the health and social care service, bringing together services which are common to bodies or persons engaged in providing health or social services which include: administrative support, advice and assistance; financial services; human resource, personnel and corporate services; training; estates; information technology, and information management; procurement of goods and services; legal services; internal audit and fraud prevention.
The board of the RBSO will be made up of four executive directors, including the chief executive, a non-executive chair and eight non-executive directors. The non-executive directors include a trade union member and seven lay members.
The Role of the PCC and board membership
The consumer voice in relation to health and personal social services in Northern Ireland is currently provided through four Health and Social Services Councils. These four Councils will be replaced by a single health and social care user’s body – the Patient and Client Council. The functions of the Patient and Client Council will be to: represent the interest of the public; promote the involvement of the public; provide assistance to individuals making or intending to make a complaint relating to health and social care; encourage health and social care bodies to provide advice and information to the public about the design, commissioning and delivery of health and social services; and such other functions as may be prescribed.
The board of the PCC will be made up of sixteen non-executive directors and a non-executive chair. The non-executive directors include a trade union member, five local government members, five voluntary & community members and five lay members.
4. The Chairs of the Regional Health and Social Care Board and the Regional Agency for Public Health and Social Well-Being will receive annual remuneration of £33,000. The Chair of the Regional Business Services Organisation will receive £22,000 per year and the Chair of the Patient and Client Council will receive £11,000 per year.
5. Appointments to HSC Bodies are made with the approval of the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. There are no specific qualifications for appointment. Each person is appointed to act in a personal capacity and not to represent any particular interest or group.
6. The appointments were made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland. Two selection panels, both including an independent assessor, as required under the Commissioner’s Code, considered the suitability of all candidates. The final decisions on the appointments rested with the minister.
7. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for the political activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published. Dr Clements, Mr Coleman, and Mr Keanie declared that they had not engaged in any political activity in the last five years. Ms Mary McMahon declared that she had engaged in some political activity in the past five years.
8. Press enquiries to the DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0575. Out of hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.
APPOINTMENTS
Dr Ian Clements MB BCh DRCOG MRCGP
lives in Newtownards where he has practised as a GP Principal for the past 27 years. Throughout his GP career, he has continually sought to improve healthcare services for patients through his involvement in the commissioning process having been appointed the Clinical Lead Commissioner in the East Local Commissioning Group at its inception; he will now be stepping down from this position. He is currently Chair of the Eastern Local Medical Committee and member of the NI General Practitioners Committee. Previous posts include Chair of the Eastern Multifund, Chair of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board GP Forum, executive committee member of both the National Association of Primary Care and NI Association for Mental Health and GP Medical Advisor to the former Ulster and Community Hospitals Trust. He holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Mr Alexander Coleman LLB LLM
lives in Comber. He is a partner in a firm of solicitors in Belfast, with a particular interest in town planning. He is currently a non-executive member of the Eastern Health and Social Services (HSS) Board for which he receives £5,730 per annum and has been a Lay Member of the Eastern HSS Board Independent Review Panels, reporting on non-clinical complaints. Mr Coleman was solicitor to the Department’s Human Organs Enquiry and Chair of the local branch of the Royal Town Planning Institute in 2001. He has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Mr John Keanie MBA
lives in Coleraine. Mr Keanie is a self employed business Consultant and also Company Chair of A2B (Access to Benefits for Older People). He was previously employed as Town Clerk and Chief Executive of Derry City Council. Mr Keanie is a Lay Representative on the QC Complaints Committee of the Silk Appointments Commission for which he receives £297 per day and expenses. He is currently appointed, by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, NI, to act as an independent assessor for Public Appointments to government bodies. In 1997 he was made Freeman of the City of London for work done with “The Hon the Irish Society” in Community projects in Co Derry/Londonderry. He has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Ms Mary McMahon MSSc BA
lives in Annsborough, Co Down. Since June 2002, she has been a self-employed Social Policy Researcher and was previously co-ordinator with the Belfast Traveller Support Group from 1996 to May 2002. Ms McMahon is currently a member of Amnesty International (Mid-Down branch), a member of the Committee on the Administration of Justice and also of UNICEF. She is a Belfast Harbour Commissioner for which she receives £10,150 per annum and a member of the Research Ethics Committee for which she receives expenses only. Ms McMahon declared that she had engaged in some political activity as Secretary of the NI Labour Forum, the NI Branch of the Labour Party.
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