The Minister has appointed Dr Maria McGinnity as a Consultant Psychiatrist member, Mr Stephen Herron as a Legal member, and Dr Michael Healy as a General Practitioner member.
The appointments are for the period from 21 April 2008 to 31 March 2009.
Notes to Editors:
The Mental Health Commission (the Commission) is established under the Mental Health (NI) Order 1986 to protect the interests of mentally disordered people.
Membership of the Commission consists of a Chair, one Legal Member, four Consultant Psychiatrist Members, two Nurse Members, two Social Work Members, one Clinical Psychologist Member, one General Practitioner Member, one Allied Health Professional Member and six Lay Members, including two user members, two carer members and two members able to demonstrate an interest in mental health/learning disability.
Members of the Mental Health Commission are paid on a session basis and the daily rate of remuneration is currently £208.
Appointments to the Mental Health Commission are made with the approval of the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Each person is appointed on merit to act in a personal capacity and not to represent any particular interest or group.
The appointments were made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointment for Northern Ireland. A selection panel, which included an independent assessor, as required under the Commissioner’s Code, considered the suitability of the candidates. The final decision on the appointments rested with the Minister.
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. Each of the appointees declared they had not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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Appointments
Dr Maria G A McGinnity MB BCh BAO MA FRCPsych lives in Belfast. Dr McGinnity is currently employed by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust as a Consultant Psychiatrist in Learning Disability. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Northern Ireland Division and has served on behalf of the Royal College as a member of the Legal Issues Working Group of the Bamford Review. Dr McGinnity has been a medical member on the NI Mental Health Review Tribunal since 1993. She holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Mr Stephen John Herron LLB lives in Holywood. He is a Solicitor presently employed by the Public Prosecution Service, Belfast, as a Senior Public Prosecutor. Mr Herron was appointed as a Legal Chairman of the NI Valuation Tribunal in April 2007. He holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Dr Michael Healy MB BCh BAO (Distinction) LL.M MRCGP DGM Dip Pall Med lives in Londonderry. He is a GP Principal in Practice in the Western Health Board area and holds a Master of Laws Degree in legal aspects of Medical Practice. He has been a Macmillan GP Palliative Care Facilitator for the Western Health and Social Care Trust which involved acting as an interface between Primary and Secondary Palliative Care professionals in both voluntary and public sector to improve the service offered to patients with terminal cancer.
He is currently a general practice postgraduate trainer and recently was lead GP responsible for delivery of the new Waterside Health and Social Care Centre in Londonderry’s Waterside. He holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
