Appointment of a Northern Ireland Non-Executive Board Member to the Human Tissue Authority (HTA)
Date published:
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has announced the appointment of a Northern Ireland Non-Executive Board Member to the Human Tissue Authority (HTA).
Nicole Lappin has been appointed as the Northern Ireland Non-Executive Board Member. The appointment will commence on 12 September 2025 and will end on a date not later than 11 September 2028.
HTA Non-Executive Board Member positions attract a remuneration of £7,883 per annum with a time commitment of two or three days per month.
The HTA is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care in England. It regulates the removal, storage, use and disposal of human bodies, organs, and tissues for various purposes, including research, transplantation, education, and training. The HTA ensures that human tissue is used safely and ethically, with proper consent, and oversees compliance with the Human Tissue Act 2004. It issues licenses and inspects organisations that remove, store, and use human tissue to uphold the standards set by HTA. The HTA operates across six areas: Anatomy, Post Mortem, Public Display, Organ Donation and Transplantation, Research, and Human Application.
The HTA Board is made up of a Chair and 11 Non-Executive Members. The Chair and Non-Executive Board Members, except the Northern Ireland and Wales Members, are appointed by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in England. The Northern Ireland Non-Executive Board Member is appointed by the Department of Health.
Notes to editors:
1. Nicole Lappin is an experienced non-Executive who has demonstrated how effective governance improves the delivery of public services. At present, she chairs both the Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Including these two roles, Nicole has over eleven years’ combined experience in chairing four public sector Boards. She qualified as a Barrister in Dublin and has chaired a fitness to practise committee for the Pharmaceutical Society in NI. Additionally, she developed further expertise in regulation as the Chief Charity Commissioner for NI and her experience also spans health, where she chaired the NI Ambulance Service for five years, justice, education, and finance. Nicole has chaired two Audit Committees and has served on seven public sector boards including one in the Republic of Ireland. Recently, she chaired the NI Public Sector Chairs Forum. Nicole has led on changing Board governance structures and transformation of service delivery has been central to the organisations which, along with colleagues, she has governed.
2. Appointments to the HTA are made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in England, except the Northern Ireland and Wales Members. The Northern Ireland Non-Executive Board Member is appointed by the Department of Health.
3. Members are appointed in accordance with Schedule 2 of the Human Tissue Act 2004
4. 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. The appointee has declared that she has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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