Health Minister, Simon Hamilton today announced the appointment of five Non-Executive Directors to Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
Professor Martin Bradley and Mrs Nuala McKeagney, were appointed as Non-Executive Lay Directors, with effect from 18 May 2015 for a period of four years. Ms Anne O’Reilly was appointed as a Non-Executive Lay Director, with effect from 1 July 2015 for a period of four years. Dr Patrick Loughran was appointed as a Non-Executive Director (Mater Hospital Representative), with effect from 1 July 2015 for a period of four years and Professor Stuart Elborn will be appointed as a Non-Executive Director (Queens University Representative), with effect from 1 April 2016 for a period of four years
These appointments carry a time commitment of three days per week and may involve commitment both inside and outside normal working hours. The Non-Executive Directors of the Belfast Trust attracts an annual remuneration of £7,960.
The BHSCT is one of five HSC Trusts established in 2007 responsible for the delivery of responsive and effective health and care services and for the ownership and management of hospitals and other establishments and facilities. Each HSC Trust in Northern Ireland is managed directly by a Board of Directors which has corporate responsibility for its operation.
The Board is made up of five executive Directors and seven non-executive directors and a non-executive chair. Executive directors and non-executive directors are full and equal members of the Board.
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.
Notes to editors:
1. Appointments
Professor Martin Bradley
Professor Bradley lives in Belfast. He has previously held the positions of Chief Nursing Officer in the Western HSS Board from 1997 – 2003, Director, Royal College of Nursing (Northern Ireland) 2003 - 2005 and Chief Nursing Officer within the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety 2005 - 2011. Prof. Bradley is also involved in voluntary work as the Chair of the Down & Connor Committee of the Irish Bishops Drug Initiative, Trustee of the Florence Nightingale Foundation and a Trustee of the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy. He is a visiting Professor of Nursing at the Ulster University, a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing and a Fellow of the Queens Nursing Institute. In 2013 he was awarded the OBE for services to nursing in the UK and is a Deputy Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast.
Mrs Nuala McKeagney
Mrs McKeagney is currently a Director of Blueprint Development Consultancy Ltd, a consultancy business she co-founded 15 years ago. Prior to this Mrs McKeagney worked as Economic Development Manager within Belfast City Council. She holds a BSc in Economics, a Masters in Business Administration and a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors. She has served as a director on a range of voluntary boards and is currently Acting Chairman of St. Paul’s Junior High School Board of Governors in Lurgan.
Ms Anne O’Reilly
Ms O Reilly has over 25 years experience as CEO and Senior Manager of a range of voluntary organisations working with older people & women and children. She is a professional foster carer, sits on the board as a volunteer director of two local women's sector organisations, and is also a non executive director of the NI Social Care Council, attracting an annual remuneration of £6,367.
Dr Patrick Loughran
Dr Loughran lives in Rostrevor. He recently held a consultancy post within the Health Information and Quality Authority Dublin. Dr Loughran has previous career experience within health and social care including working as a Consultant Anaesthetist and as the Medical Director for the Southern HSC Trust until 2011. He is currently involved in voluntary work through the St Vincent de Paul Society, and the Southern Area Hospice in Newry
Professor Stuart Elborn
Professor Elborn lives in Bangor and is currently the Dean of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen University Belfast. He has just completed his term as President of European Cystic Fibrosis Society.
2. These appointments were made with the approval of the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. There are no specific qualifications for appointment.
3. 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 to be published. All five Non-Executive Directors have declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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