This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Fresh start for NHS Western Isles
01/08/2006
A top level support team is being sent in to assist NHS Western Isles, following the resignation of Chairman David Currie.
As well as appointing a seconded Chair to lead the Board, the Executive is also sending in a senior managerial and clinical team to support the Chair and ensure the Board and its members are working effectively with partners for the benefit of the local community.
The seconded Chair will be Ronnie Cleland, a non-Executive Board member of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The support team will be led by Malcolm Wright, Chief Executive of NHS Education for Scotland.
Health Minister Andy Kerr said:
"I would like to thank David for all the hard work he has put into the Board over the last five years. NHS Western Isles has faced a number of challenges, and it has made good progress in, for example, modernising services, keeping waiting times low, and developing the roles of staff to tackle broader and more fulfilling tasks.
"Ronnie Cleland has the experience necessary to serve on secondment as Chair for a period of up to six months while we seek a permanent successor to David.
"NHS Western Isles needs to maintain their focus on patient services, and drive forward the modernisation of health care. The appointment of a new Chair gives us the opportunity for a fresh approach to delivering healthcare for the people in the Western Isles.
"I will be quite clear about the wider challenge facing the rest of the Board members. Last year I warned that the Board needed to do significantly better to pull together as a corporate body.
"Every single Board member has a heavy responsibility to demonstrate their ability to work constructively together and improve relations with key stakeholders and to show leadership.
"Unless the Board members rise to this challenge, I do not rule out further action. One of the key roles for the seconded Chair will be to consider whether further organisational changes will be required. I will be keeping a close eye on the performance of the Board over the coming months.
"I will be making a special visit to Stornoway on 8 August to underline personally to Board members my views on the issue. The performance of the Board will be further under scrutiny when I return for the Annual Review, in public, on 11 September."
Chair of NHS Western Isles David Currie said:
"Because of the Western Isles' geography and health profile, delivering health care here will always be a demanding task. Nevertheless, during my tenure we have delivered high quality patient services, and begun much needed reform.
"However, increasingly I have found it difficult to balance my NHS, personal, and business interests and after five years of service as NHS chair I believe the time is right to hand over my responsibilities.
"I believe it is in the interests of the people of the Western Isles, and of this NHS Board, for someone else to pick up the challenge and take it forward from here."
Mr Currie's resignation will take effect when Mr Cleland formally takes over, expected to be next week.
Ronnie Cleland, a non-Executive Board member of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is a former Chair of North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust. He and the rest of the Board will be supported by a team led by Malcolm Wright, Chief Executive of NHS Education for Scotland, and former Chief Executive of NHS Dumfries and Galloway. Appointments will also be made for the rest of the team which will also include senior clinical support.