News Release Page Title

16 March 2007

APPOINTMENTS TO THE NEW BELFAST HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES TRUST

The appointment of 7 non-executive directors to the new Belfast Health and Social Services Trust has been announced.

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety today announced that the Minister responsible, Paul Goggins, has appointed the following non-executive directors to the new Belfast Health and Social Services (HSS) Trust:

Ms Joy Allen

Mr Leslie Drew

Professor Eileen Evason

Dr Val Fiddis

Cllr Tom Hartley

Mr Charles Jenkins

Mr James O’Kane

The appointments are for the period from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2011.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

  1. On 22 November 2005, Shaun Woodward announced a major programme of HPSS structural reform within the context of the wide ranging Review of Public Administration (RPA). One of these reforms was the establishment of five new HSS Trusts to replace eighteen of the existing 19 HSS Trusts (the Ambulance Service Trust will remain separate).

  2. All five new Trusts will be responsible for the full range of services, removing the distinction between acute, community and mixed Trusts. They will be fully operational from 1 April 2007, when the existing Trusts will be dissolved.

  3. HSS Trusts are responsible for providing health and social services to their resident populations. The new Belfast HSS Trust will amalgamate the current Belfast City Hospital, Royal Group of Hospitals, Mater Infirmorum, Green Park, North & West Belfast (including Muckamore Hospital) and South & East Belfast HSS Trusts. This would include the current local government districts of Belfast and Castlereagh.

  4. In developing the new management and governance structures for the new Belfast HSS Trust, consideration has been given to the special status of the Mater Hospital, as stipulated in its 1972 Deed of Arrangement.

  5. Each HSS Trust is run by a board of directors, which comprises a non-executive Chair, seven non-executive directors and five executive directors. Executive directors are employees of the Trust.

  6. Non-executive directors of the new HSS Trusts will receive annual remuneration of £7,500.

  7. Appointments to HSS Trusts 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.

  8. The appointments were made in accordance with the Code of Practice of 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 appointment rested with the Minister.

  9. 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. Councillor Hartley declared that he has engaged in some political activity in the past five years.

APPOINTMENTS

Ms Joy Allen MSc BA lives in Belfast. She is owner/manager of a training and consultancy business, and since 1990 has been a Director and Company Secretary of a Carrickfergus property company. Ms Allen has been a foster carer since 1994, and in 2005, was appointed Chair of VOYPIC (Voice of Young People in Care). She is currently a non-executive director of the Ulster & Community Hospitals HSS Trust, for which she receives £5,508 per annum. Ms Allen has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Mr Leslie Drew MBA lives in Belfast. He is a Financial Systems & Risk Manager of Viridian Group PLC (formerly NI Electricity), where he held the position of Group Financial Controller. For the past 27 years he has been a voluntary Youth Leader, and has recently been appointed to the board of Newtownbreda United Churches. Mr Drew is a former member of the Castlereagh District Policing Partnership. He is a non-executive director of South & East Belfast HSS Trust, for which he receives £5,508 per annum. Mr Drew has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Professor Eileen Evason BA MSSc lives in Belfast. She is an emeritus Professor of Social Administration at the University of Ulster and is also Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Queen’s University, Belfast. Professor Evason presents and contributes to consumer advice programmes for the BBC. She is Governor and Council Member of the Pension Policy Institute. Professor Evason is also an Equality Commissioner for Northern Ireland, for which she receives £5,000 per annum. She is currently a non-executive director of South & East Belfast HSS Trust, for which she receives £5,508 per annum. Professor Evason has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Dr Val Fiddis MPA lives in Belfast. She is Head of the NI Council of the Royal College of General Practitioners. Prior to this, Dr Fiddis was a PR/Communications manager with an Area Mental Health Unit. She is a former Chair of Fermanagh District Partnership for Peace and Reconciliation and currently runs a drama group for people from both sides of the community. Dr Fiddis is currently a non-executive director of Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust, for which she receives £5,508 per annum. She has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Cllr Tom Hartley lives in Belfast. He has been an elected representative on Belfast City Council for many years and is a member of the West Belfast Partnership Board. Cllr Hartley is a board member of the Belfast Education and Library Board, for which he receives expenses only. He is currently a non-executive director of the Royal Group of Hospitals & Dental Hospital HSS Trust, for which he receives £5,508 per annum. Cllr Hartley is also a board member of the Belfast Harbour Commission, for which he receives £9,750 per annum. He has engaged in political activity for Sinn Fein in the last five years.

Mr Charles Jenkins OBE JP FCA lives in Belfast. He is Company Secretary of Lagan Holdings Ltd, and is a member of the board of governors of a college and primary school. Mr Jenkins is also a member of the Advisory Committee to the General Commission of Income Tax. Since October 2005, he has been Chair of the Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust, for which he receives £18,888 per annum, and prior to this he was a non-executive director of the Trust. He has not engaged in any political activity in the past five years.

Mr James O’Kane BA CPFA lives in Belfast. A former Director of Finance, he is now Registrar and Chief Operating Officer at Queen’s University Belfast. He is also a Director of NI Science Park Holdings Ltd. In 2002, Mr O’Kane was appointed Chair of the Belfast Institute of Further & Higher Education, and is Chair designate of the Belfast Metropolitan College. He is a non-executive director of the Royal Group of Hospitals & Dental Hospital HSS Trust, for which he receives £5,508. He has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

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