The Department of Health has announced a 12 month extension to the terms of appointment for the Non-Executive Chair and 6 Non-Executive Members of the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery (NIPEC) Board.
Professor Carol Curran’s appointment as Non-Executive Chair has been extended from 20 June 2019 to a date not later than 19 June 2020. The Non-Executive Lay members’ extensions of appointment are as follows: Mrs Alison Baxendale from 18 July 2019 to 17 July 2020; Mr Paul Davidson from 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2020 and Dr Vinod Tohani from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020.
The Non-Executive Professional members’ appointments are extended as follows: Mrs Lisa Houlihan, Mrs Deirdre O’Donnell and Mrs Deborah Oktar-Campbell from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020.
The appointment as Non-Executive Chair to NIPEC carries a time commitment of 45 days per annum, and attracts an annual remuneration of £11,057 per annum. The Non-Executive Member position carries a time commitment of 20 days per annum and does not receive remuneration.
The Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery (NIPEC) was established by the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2002 under the Health and Personal Social Services Act as a Non-Departmental Public Body to support the development of nurses and midwives by promoting high standards of practice, education and professional development. NIPEC also provides advice and guidance on best practice and matters relating to nursing and midwifery.
The appointments were made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Notes to editors:
- Professor Carol Curran is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences. Carol has worked at Ulster University since 1996 and has held a number of posts including Head of the School of Nursing and Chief Executive Officer of Ulster University Health Limited. In 2011 she became Dean of the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences and was appointed Executive Dean in September 2016. Carol is widely recognised as a nurse leader, regularly delivering key-note addresses at prestigious conferences worldwide. She has been a visiting scholar at Kent State University, Ohio and is currently visiting professor at Qiqihar Medical University China. Carol currently holds a Ministerial appointment as Chair of NIPEC and is an elected member of the Executive of the UK Council of Deans of Health. In 2014 Carol was recognised in the Queen's Honours, receiving an OBE for services to Education and Nursing in Northern Ireland. Carol is a registered nurse and holds specialist qualifications in District Nursing and Education. She has a BSc, MSc and PhD all from Ulster University, along with a Diploma in Nursing from the University of London.
- Mrs Alison Baxendale worked within the National Health Service (NHS) in England from 1981 until 2011 in a variety of clinical and managerial roles. She qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in 1981 and specialised in working with children with specific speech and language disorders. She has been a clinical advisor to the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman was an executive coach and Leadership Quality Framework facilitator and trainer. She worked for the Care Quality Commission inspecting health and social care organisations from 2012 until 2016. Mrs Baxendale has extensive experience and knowledge of healthcare strategy and delivery, and of organisational and clinical governance. Her communication, inter-personal, business and change management skills, coupled with her ongoing interest in supporting high quality care, will ensure she makes a full contribution to the work of NIPEC. Mrs Baxendale currently holds the position of Deputy Chair on NIPEC's Council.
- Mr Paul Davidson is a Lay member of NIPEC council and is currently engaged as a lecturer (Engineering) for the Open University, student support provider for QUB, and Professional Registration Advisor for the Institution of Engineering and Technology. He is also the School Designated Governor for child protection at Clifton Special School, Bangor.
- Mrs Lisa Houlihan has many years’ experience in Health and Social Care as an Assistant Services Manager and as a Nurse. She has gained vast experience in developing and securing service improvement in healthcare in a range of settings and has clear focus on what makes a difference to frontline practitioners.
- Mrs Houlihan brings her enthusiasm and willingness to take on new challenges to the role of board member. Her excellent communication skills and ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders to secure successful outcomes benefits the board.
- Mrs Deborah Oktar-Campbell has worked in the Independent Sector for almost thirty years where she has led and directed various teams to deliver against the regulations and standards within the independent and voluntary sectors; currently running her own successful consultancy/training and counselling business she engages her diverse range of skills to assist with continual quality improvement, development and support. Serving on the NIPEC board since 2012 Mrs Oktar-Campbell has represented council on various subgroups, Audit and Risk Committee, Record Keeping Steering Group and Independent and Voluntary Sector Forum and continues to bring her professional expertise to the table to assist NIPEC achieve its strategic business objectives.
- Ms Deirdre O’Donnell is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing at Ulster University. She is a registered nurse, holds a specialist practice qualification, a Master’s degree in Advanced Nursing and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Since 2013, Ms O’Donnell has been a Professional Member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Fitness to Practice Committee. Ms O’Donnell brings to the role her extensive experience and knowledge of leadership in nursing education, clinical nursing practice and professional regulation. She has a particular interest in the development of person-centred practice through nursing education.
- Dr Vinod Tohani - Until his retirement in February 2010, Dr Tohani had been employed for over 20 years in the Southern Health and Social Services Board, latterly the Public Health Agency, as Consultant in Communicable Disease Control/Consultant in Public Health Medicine. From April 1987 to September 1990, Dr Tohani had been employed as Consultant in Communicable Disease Control/Consultant in Public Health Medicine with the Western Health and Social Services Board. Dr Tohani's experience gained in the field of Public Health, covering such areas as Child and Maternal Health, Mental Health, Health Promotion, together with his involvement with health care professional training and education, assists him on the Council. He has been involved, in a voluntary capacity, as a member of the NI Food Standards Agency Advisory Committee and of the Pesticide Advisory Committee (UK). In May 2018 Dr Tohani was appointed as Chair of the Northern Ireland Public Health Medicine Committee of the BMA.
- The extensions to these appointments were made with the approval of the DoH Permanent Secretary. There are no specific qualifications for appointment.
- All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published. Each of the appointees declared that they had not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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