News Release Page Title

16 March 2007

APPOINTMENTS TO THE NEW SOUTHERN HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES TRUST

The appointment of 7 non-executive directors to the new Southern 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 Southern Health and Social Services (HSS) Trust:

Mrs Deirdre Blakely

Mrs Roberta Brownlee

Mr Edwin Graham

Mr Alistair Joynes

Mrs Hester Kelly

Miss Elizabeth McLoughlin

Dr Raymond Mullan

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 Southern HSS Trust will amalgamate the current Craigavon Area Hospital Group, Craigavon & Banbridge Community, Newry & Mourne and Armagh & Dungannon HSS Trusts. This would include the current local government districts of Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Dungannon and Newry & Mourne.

  4. 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.

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

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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. The appointees declared that they had not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

APPOINTMENTS

Mrs Deirdre Blakely BA lives in Newry. She is a self-employed management consultant, providing consultancy services to the voluntary and community sectors. Prior to this, Mrs Blakely was a project director of a range of Community Health Projects, including the Women and Family Health Initiative, based in Newry. She is currently a non-executive director of Newry & Mourne HSS Trust, for which she receives £5,508 per annum. She has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Mrs Roberta Brownlee MSc lives in Loughgall. A former Chief Executive of the Sandown Private Nursing Home Group, Mrs Brownlee is now a self-employed healthcare consultant. She is a Director of a nursing home in Castlederg, a member of the Board of Governors of three schools, and a former Executive member of Help the Aged. Mrs Brownlee is a current member of the Southern HSS Board, for which she receives £5,508 per annum and a member of the Southern Education & Library Board, for which she receives expenses only. She has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Mr Edwin Graham BSc lives in Lurgan. Mr Graham is an Authorised Officer for the Parades Commission. He is also a member of the Pharmacy Practice Committee of the Southern HSS Board. In a voluntary capacity, Mr Graham acts as Treasurer of Enable NI, a voluntary organisation providing respite services for young people with learning disabilities. Until December 2006, Mr Graham was Chair of Craigavon & Banbridge Health & Social Care Group. He holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Mr Alistair Joynes CIPD lives in Portadown. He is the Managing Partner in a training and business consultancy and has been an arbitrator with the Labour Relations Agency since 2001. He is also a governor of Upper Bann Institute of Further & Higher Education, for which he receives expenses only, and a member of the NI Housing Executive board, for which he receives £6,345 per annum. He has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Mrs Hetty Kelly RGN lives in Dungannon. Mrs Kelly was a Staff Nurse at South Tyrone Hospital and, latterly, Craigavon Area Hospital, until her retirement in 2001. She was a governor of three local schools until 2006. Mrs Kelly is currently a non-executive director of Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust, for which she receives £5,508. She has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Miss Elizabeth McLoughlin BA lives in Armagh. She is Financial Director of a Belfast-based heating equipment company and General Manager of MacFarlane Environmental, a distribution company for air-conditioning and heating equipment. Miss McLoughlin is Chair of the Belfast Club of Business and Professional Women and is currently a non-executive director of Armagh & Dungannon HSS Trust, for which she receives £5,508 per annum. She has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Dr Raymond Mullan MSc OBE lives in Warrenpoint. He is a former Director and Chief Executive of Newry & Kilkeel Institute of Further & Higher Education, a post which he held since 1991. Dr Mullan is a member of Newry Chamber of Commerce and a past Chairman of the Association of NI Colleges. He is also a NI Judicial Appointments Commissioner and has been a member of the NI Economic Development Forum for the past five years. He has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

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