Appointment of Non-Executive Members to the Patient and Client Council

Health Minister Simon Hamilton has today announced the extension of the terms of appointment of Non-Executive Members to the Patient and Client Council (PCC) for the period from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.

Mr Brian Compston Voluntary & Community Member
Dr May McCann Lay Member
Prof Hugh McKenna Lay Member

The PCC, which is established under Section 16(1) of the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009, is a regional body supported by five local offices operating within the same geographical areas covered by the five Health and Social Care Trusts and Local Commissioning Groups.

The overarching objective of the PCC is to provide a powerful, independent voice for patients, clients, carers, and communities on health and social care issues.

The appointments were made with the approval of the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. 

Notes to editors: 

1. 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. Mr. Compston, Dr. McCann, and Professor McKenna have all declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
2. There are no specific qualifications for appointment.
3. Non-executive directors of the Patient and Client Council receive annual remuneration of £3,601 for a time commitment of two days per month.
4. Mr Brian Compston BA MCIM lives in Belfast. Mr Compston was formerly Southern Area Manager, Business in the Community and former Head of Domestic Marketing, NIE plc. He is a Trustee Board Member of Citizens Advice NI and was formerly a member on the Eastern Health and Social Services Council until 31 March 2009. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Mr. Compston holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.’
5. Dr May McCann PhD, Grad. Cert. Ed., Dip.Soc. Anth. BA lives in Belfast. Until early retirement she lectured in Social Anthropology at QUB. She subsequently worked in the voluntary and community sector, in education, research and policy work, initially in the women's sector and more recently in the area of mental health. Research interests and publications are in the area of diversity, equality, and Personal and Public Involvement (PPI).
   • She is a current member, and previous Chair, of the Bamford Monitoring Group - service user and carer group working towards the effective implementation of the recommendations of the Bamford Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability.
   • Dr. McCann is involved, as a carer representative, with a range of mental health bodies including the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the Health and Social Care Board, the Public Health Agency, the Belfast HSC Trust and professional and educational sectors. She is currently Chair of CAUSE, a regional charity providing peer support and advocacy to mental health carers. She holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
6. Professor Hugh McKenna CBE is Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Ulster University. He has been made a Fellow of several academies and Royal Colleges. He sits on national/international committees for three charities, four research funding bodies and five editorial boards.
   • Professor McKenna is Chair of Innovation Ulster Limited and the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health. He also Chairs the steering committee of the Economic and Social Research Council’s Administrative Data Research Centre. He is on the Boards of the NI Science Park and the Medical Research Council’s Methodological Hub. He is also a board member of MATRIX, Northern Ireland’s Science Industry Panel.
   • He is an Adjunct/Visiting Professor at the University of Texas, USA, University of Maribor, Slovenia, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia, and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and Head of the Visiting Committee at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Professor McKenna holds no other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
7. Media enquiries to DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0575. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.

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