The Chairs will play key leadership roles at a time of considerable challenge and opportunity for the health service in Northern Ireland.
Mr Ciaran Mulgrew has been appointed as Chair of Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT). Mrs Michele Larmour has been appointed as Chair of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Trust (NIAST). Both appointments commenced on 6 April 2023 and will end on a date not later than 5 April 2027.
Mr Jonathan Patton has been appointed as Chair of South-Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT). His appointment commenced on 15 April 2023 and will end on a date not later than 14 April 2027. Since March 2020, Mr Patton has been carrying out the role of Acting Chair of the Trust.
Ms Anne O’Reilly will be appointed as Chair of Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) with effect from 20 April 2023 to a date not later than 19 April 2027 and Dr Thomas Frawley will be appointed as Chair of Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) with effect from 1 May 2023 to a date not later than 30 April 2027.
Permanent Secretary Peter May said: “Health and Social Care Trusts deliver a wide range of essential public services to people across Northern Ireland and the Chair has a particular leadership role to champion and oversee the work of the Board.
“The Department is committed to developing constructive and effective partnerships with all our Arm’s Length Bodies. There are many challenges ahead, not least as we move to rebuild services and manage public expectations and confidence following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, but also in developing a new Integrated Care System for Northern Ireland. I can assure Chairs they will be supported by the Department as together we seek to respond to the many challenges, not least as we move to rebuild services and manage public expectations and confidence following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, but also in developing a new Integrated Care System for Northern Ireland. This is all in the context of an extremely constrained budgets. Trust Chairs are a critical part of the HSC system leadership which will respond to, navigate and address these challenges.
“I would like to congratulate the newly appointed Chairs and to thank them for taking on these very important roles. Their skills, experience and dedication to public service will prove invaluable in the years ahead. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Chairs for their valuable contribution. Their tenure has coincided with the most challenging of times for Health and Social Care and the Department is grateful for their commitment to the Trusts and to the community they served during those unprecedented times.”
The time commitment and remuneration for each position is:
- BHSCT: 3 days per week; current remuneration – £38,397 per annum.
- NHSCT: 3 days per week; current remuneration – £32,579 per annum.
- NIAST: 2½ – 3 days per week; current remuneration – £25,210 per annum.
- SEHSCT: 3 days per week; current remuneration – £32,579 per annum.
- WHSCT: 3 days per week; current remuneration – £32,579 per annum
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 Trust, and for BHSCT, SEHSCT, NHSCT WHSCT comprises a Non-Executive Chair and seven Non-Executive Directors along with five Executive Directors including the Chief Executive. The NIAST Board comprises a Non-Executive Chair, five Non-Executive Directors and five Executive Directors.