Appointment of a Non-Executive Director to the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Date published:
Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, has announced the appointment of a Non-Executive Director to the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT).
Professor Ian Bruce has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director (Queen’s University of Belfast Representative). His appointment commenced on 1 January 2026 and will end on a date not later than 31 December 2029.
The Non-Executive Director position attracts remuneration of £9,327 per annum with a time commitment of 1 day per week.
This appointment is made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.
The BHSCT is one of five regional HSC Trusts established in 2006. The five are legal entities in their own right, responsible for the delivery of responsive and effective health and care services. The Board is the governing body of the BHSCT and comprises of a Non-Executive Chair, seven Non-Executive Directors and five Executive Directors including the Chief Executive.
Notes to editors:
Notes to Editors:
- Professor Ian Bruce is Pro Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Medicine Health and Life Sciences at the Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB), where he leads a team of 1,300 staff and over 6,000 students. He is also an NIHR Senior Investigator Emeritus and Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Manchester. Ian qualified in Medicine from QUB in 1988, completed his clinical training in medicine and rheumatology in Northern Ireland and was awarded his MD in 1995. After further training in Toronto and establishing a clinical practice and research group in Manchester, he was appointed Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Manchester in August 2010. He served as Director of the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre from April 2017 - January 2024. Ian has a strong commitment to generating evidence to inform healthcare planning and improving population health outcomes. His research has influenced national policies and international guidelines for the management of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), his area of clinical expertise.
- Appointments to the BHSCT are made by the Minister of Health.
- 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. Professor Bruce has declared that he has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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