Chair Appointed to Highland NHS Board

3rd December 2015

The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, Shona Robison, has announced the appointment of the new Chair of Highland NHS Board.

Highland NHS Board is responsible for the strategic planning of health services and the development of measures to improve the health of the communities in the Highland region. NHS Highlands catchment area comprises the largest and most sparsely populated part of the UK covering the Highland and Argyll and Bute council areas.

Dr David Alston will take up the post on 1 April 2016, when the current Chair is due to stand down.

Born and brought up in the Highlands, Dr Alston has been a play worker in Liverpool 8 (Toxteth) and a school teacher in Wallsend, at the time two of the areas of highest deprivation in England. He went on to be the Workers Educational Association's first organiser in the Highlands, a museum curator, and for the past sixteen years he has served as an elected member of The Highland Council, taking a lead role in managing budgets, setting strategic direction, and improving the authoritys performance. Dr Alston is an experienced non-executive member of the board of NHS Highland, with a special interest in quality improvement in the health service. He is also an historian whose recent publications have brought to light Scotlands extensive involvement in the slave plantations of the Caribbean. He holds degrees from Aberdeen and Dundee Universities (MA, LLB, PhD) and is an independent member of the Court of the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Dr Alstons appointment will be for 4 years and commence on the 1st of April 2016 and end on the 31st of March 2020.

This appointment is part-time and attracts an annual remuneration of £29,936 for a time commitment of 3 days per week.

Dr Alston is currently a non-executive member of Highland NHS Board, for which he receives an annual remuneration of £8,088 for a time commitment of around 8 hours per week. This appointment will end when he takes up his position as Chair.

This appointment is regulated by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life 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 within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public. Dr Alston has been elected and served as a councillor; he has canvassed and spoken on behalf of candidates for the Scottish Parliament and Highland Council and is a member of the executive of the Ross, Skye and Lochaber Scottish Liberal Democrat branch. He also campaigned during the referendum campaign for Better Together.