They are Mrs Lily Kerr, Trade Union representative member; Mr John Mone, member from a nursing background; and lay members Mr Robert Gilmore, Mr Stephen Leach, Dr Melissa McCullough and Mr Brendan McKeever.
The appointment of the member from a medical background has yet to be confirmed.
The appointments are for the period from 7 April 2009 to 6 April 2013.
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 four Health and Social Services Boards, the four Health and Social Services Councils and a number of Agencies. Following consultation, the Minister decided to establish the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) to replace the four Health and Social Services Boards.
3. Role of the Health and Social Care Board
- The Health and Social Care Board’s 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 HSCB are Commissioning; Performance management and improvement; and 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 Public Health Agency, the appropriate statutory functions previously carried out by the four Health and Social Services Boards will be undertaken by the new Health and Social Care Board. The board of the HSCB is made up of five executive directors, including the chief executive, a non-executive chair and seven non-executive directors. The non-executive directors include four Lay Members, a Trade Union Representative Member, a member from a Medical background, and a member from a Nursing background.
4. Non-executive directors of the Health and Social Care Board receive annual remuneration of £8,827 for a time commitment of five days per month.
5. Appointments to the Health and Social Care Board are made with the approval of the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
6. These appointments were made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland. A selection panel, which included an independent assessor, as required under the Commissioner’s Code, considered the suitability of all candidates. The final decision 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. With the exception of Mrs Lily Kerr and Mr John Mone, who both declared that they had engaged in political activity in the last five years, the remaining appointees declared they had not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
8. Pen pictures
- Mr Robert Gilmore OBE, lives in Banbridge. Mr Gilmore is a self employed Public Sector Management Consultant and former Chief Executive of Banbridge District Council. He is a non-executive director of Banbridge District Enterprises and was formerly a Director and Strategic Adviser to the Banbridge Local Strategy Partnership, a Governor in the Upper Bann Institute and a Commissioner in the Local Government Staff Commission. He was also appointed as a lay member to the South Local Commissioning Group (Health and Social Services) to 31 March 2009. He holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
- Mrs Elizabeth (Lily) Kerr lives in Belfast. Mrs Kerr is employed by Unison as Head of Bargaining and Representation. She is currently elected Chairperson of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions two main Industrial Committees, namely the Health Services Committee and the Education Committee. She is also appointed as a Commissioner to the Staff Commission for Education and Library Boards. This appointment is unremunerated but Attendance or Financial Loss Allowance and expenses may be payable, if claimed. She has engaged in political activity for the Workers Party in the last five years.
- Mr Stephen Leach CB lives in North Down. He is a retired senior civil servant, and was for over eight years Director of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland Office and Chair of the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Board. Previously he held a range of other posts in the NIO and other Departments. He was made a Companion of the Bath in 2007. He holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
- Dr Melissa McCullough PhD, PG/D Clin Ethics, LLB, lives in Belfast. Dr McCullough is a Lecturer in the School of Medicine, Centre for Medical Education in Medical Ethics and Law at Queen’s University, Belfast. She holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
- Mr Brendan McKeever MSc PGCE lives in Derry. Mr McKeever is undertaking Consultancy work on behalf of QUB, University of Ulster and Shelter, researching user, disability and housing issues. He is currently appointed as a Council Member to the NI Social Care Council (NISCC), the Council’s main duties are in relation to regulation and registration of social work/care workforce for which he receives £6,000 per annum. He has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
- Mr John Mone MSSc BA, lives in Middletown, Co Armagh. Until his retirement in July 2007, Mr Mone had been Executive Director of Nursing at the former Craigavon Area Hospital HSS Trust and former Director of Healthcare and Nursing and Executive Director on the Trust Board of the former Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust. He is presently a member of the Board of Governors of St John’s Primary School and a member of the NI Research Ethics Committee. He holds no other public appointments and has engaged in political activity for the SDLP in the last five years.
9. Media queries to DHSSPS Press Office on 02890 520074, or out of office hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.
