27 October 2008 - Appointment of a new Chair to the NI Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust

The appointment, for a term of four years, is effective from 16 October 2008.

Notes to Editors:

1. The mission of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care (NIAS HSC) Trust is to ‘deliver effective and efficient care to people in need and improve the health and well-being of the community through the delivery of high quality ambulance services’.
2. The NIAS Trust is run by a board of directors consisting of a non-executive Chair, five non-executive directors and five executive directors who are employees of the Trust.
3. The Chair of the NI Ambulance Service HSC Trust receives annual remuneration of £19,651.
4. Appointments to NIAS HSC Trust 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.
5. The appointment was 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 appointment rested with the Minister.
6. 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. Mr Archer declared that he had not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
7. Mr Paul David Archer MSc lives in Bangor. He was formerly NI Director of Dairy UK, having previously been Head of Transport for United Dairy Farmers (formerly the Milk Marketing Board for NI). Mr Archer is Chair of Fitness to Practise Panels of the Health Professions Council and also chairs Professional Conduct hearings for the British Psychological Society. He is a lay member of the DHSSPS Care Tribunal for which he receives £160 per day, a member of the Independent Subsidies Appeals Panel (Agriculture) and the College Advisory Group of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise. Mr Archer also chairs disciplinary procedure appeals panels for doctors and dentists in GB. He has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
8. Media enquiries to DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0579. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.