This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Board of NHS 24
14/12/2005
Health Minister Andy Kerr today announced the re-appointment of Professor Lewis Ritchie, Mrs Jacqui Low and Mr Pat Kelly to the Board of NHS 24.
Professor Lewis Ritchie is a General Practitioner Academic at the University of Aberdeen, honorary consultant in public health with NHS Grampian and practises clinical medicine at Peterhead. He is a member of a number of national and regional health advisory committees and has been a Member of the Board of NHS 24 since 2001. He does not hold any other ministerial appointments.
Mrs Jacqui Low is Managing Director of Indigo, a communications company specialising in managing reputations. Her previous experience includes communications' roles in local radio, the Civil Service, financial services, politics and as a ministerial Special Adviser. Mrs Low has been a Member of the Board of NHS 24 since 2001. She does not hold any other ministerial appointments.
Pat Kelly was formally Scottish Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union and was a member of the General Council of the STUC, serving as President in 1997-98. He was also a non executive director of Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian for 9 years and the management committees of a number of voluntary organisations, including the charity War on Want and the Anti Apartheid Movement. He is currently a non-executive director of Scottish Water for which he receives annual remuneration of £19,023 and a member of the Civil Service Appeal Board.
Professor Ritchie's re-appointment will be for a period of two years from December 1, 2005 to November 30, 2007, Mrs Jacqui Low's re-appointment will be for a period of three years from December 1, 2005 to November 30, 2008 and Mr Pat Kelly's re-appointment will be for a one year period from December 1, 2005 to December 30, 2006.
It is expected that members will contribute around eight hours per week for which the annual remuneration is £7,305.
The Board of NHS 24 is responsible for the management of a confidential 24 hour nurse consultation and health information telephone service across Scotland. To meet these needs it has an annual budget of around £47 million.
Ministerial re-appointments are made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Office of the Commisioner for Public Appointments in Scotland.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any declared) to be made public.
Within the last five years, Mrs Low has acted as a political agent, held of as Chair of her local branch, canvassed and spoken on behalf of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
Mr Kelly and Prof Ritchie has not been involved in any political activity.