Health Minister, Michelle O’Neill today announced the reappointment of Mr Philip Cathcart as a Non-Executive Financial Member to the Blood Transfusion Service Special Health and Social Care Agency (NIBTS) for a maximum period of four years from 5 November 2016 to 4 November 2020.
The Board of the NIBTS comprises of one Executive, a Non-Executive Chair and three Non-Executive Members. Non-Executive Members receive annual remuneration of £1,789.
NIBTS is an independent special agency of the Department of Health and exists to fully supply the needs of all hospitals and clinical units in the province with safe and effective blood and blood products and other related services.
All re-appointments are made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for NI. The final decision on the extension of this appointment rested with the Minister.
Notes to editors:
1. MR PHILIP CATHCART graduated from Queens University Belfast in 1973 and joined Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC). He qualified as a Chartered Accountant and worked for Ergas (later to become Flogas plc) and later Calor Gas Ireland as Head of Finance and HR and was a director of the Calor Group Pension Fund. He retired from the Calor Group in 2005 since working as a consultant to some small businesses. Since 1980 he has been a director of JB Anderson Limited, a property company. Mr. Cathcart was a governor of the Lisburn Institute of Further Education from 1996 to 2004 and was chairman of the Finance Committee and vice chairman of the Board of Governors. He has been a non executive member of the board of NIBTS since 2012 and has served as chairman of the NIBTS Audit committee.
2. The appointments were made with the approval of 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 NI requires the political activity of appointees to be published. Mr Cathcart declared he had not engaged in any political activity in the last five years and holds no other public appointments.
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