Health Minister, Robin Swann has announced extensions to the terms of appointment of three Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust Non-Executive (Finance) Directors.
For the Southern HSC Trust, Hilary McCartan’s term has been extended from 15 February 2024 and will end on a date not later than 14 February 2025.
For the South-Eastern HSC Trust, Noel Brady’s term has been extended from 22 February 2024 and will end on a date not later than 21 February 2025.
For the Belfast HSC Trust, Gordon Smyth’s term will be extended from 5 April 2024 and will end on a date not later than 4 February 2025.
These appointments are made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.
There are six HSC Trusts, each established to provide goods and services for the purposes of health and social care, and with the exception of the Ambulance Trust, they are also responsible for exercising on behalf of the Department certain statutory functions which are delegated to them by virtue of authorisations made under the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1994. Each HSC Trust also has a statutory obligation to put and keep in place arrangements for monitoring and improving the quality of health and social care which it provides to individuals and the environment in which it provides them (Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (NI) Order 2003).
The Board is the governing body of each HSC Trust and comprises a Non-Executive Chair and seven Non-Executive Directors along with five Executive Directors including the Chief Executive.
Notes to editors:
- Hilary McCartan is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland. Hilary also holds a Joint Honours Degree in Modern Languages from QUB and an MBA from Ulster University. She has a wide range of experience spanning three decades in audit, finance, strategic planning, corporate governance, performance management and risk management in the private and public sectors. Hilary has served at Board level as Finance Director and Non-Executive Director / Commissioner. Previous public appointments include Translink, Foyle Port, AFBI, Business Services Organisation, Probation Board and Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission. Hilary also served as a Non-Executive Board Member of the Youth Justice Agency and chaired the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
- Noel Brady has held senior roles in both the public and private sectors in Northern Ireland for over 45 years. Noel has acted as an adviser and mentor for senior people in a wide range of industries. He has also become known as a unique specialist in public sector finance and tendering with almost 40 years in-depth experience in this area. Noel is a Trustee with the HMS Caroline Trust. In the private sector, he is the owner/Director of the consultancy business Nb1 and Chairman of the Continu Group of companies. He is a Fellow with the Institute of Directors (IoD) and an Honorary Fellow of the Sales Institute of Ireland. Noel holds one other public appointment, appointed in July 2022 by the Minister for the Economy, as the Chairman of the Construction Industry Training Board in Northern Ireland, this role attracts a renumeration of £20,059 per annum for a time commitment of 6 days per month.
- Gordon Smyth was recruited by the Ulster Federation of Credit Unions in 2014 and became Chief Executive in 2016. As CEO, he works closely with regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority and has developed an excellent relationship with colleagues in both the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Gordon has also gained thirty-five years' experience in the banking sector in Northern Ireland with twenty-four years of his career at manager grade. He has a proven track record in business development and business retention. Gordon is a former board member of the Medical & Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA) and the Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) where he was Chair of the Audit Risk and Governance Committee. He was awarded the British Empire Medal by the Queen in the New Year's Honours list in 2022 for services to NIFRS.
- Appointments to HSC Trusts are made by the Health Minister.
- 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 the appointees have declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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