NHS Highland board appoints new Vice Chair

14th October 2019

NHS Highland has announced that Ms. Ann Clark has been appointed as Vice Chair of the NHS Highland Board.

Ms Clark was appointed as a non-executive director of the board in April 2017, bringing with her an extensive background in researching, developing and implementing health and social care policy in the Highlands. She is currently Chair of the Mid Ross Community Partnership and Chair of the Highland Health and Social Care Committee.

Ms Clark has a life-long interest in community empowerment and user involvement in the design and delivery of public service, serving as Executive Director of the Tenant Participation Advisory Service and Highland Community Care Forum. She worked as Head of Policy at Highland Council where she was a member of the senior management team with responsibility for corporate and community planning. Following a secondment to establish the Scottish Health Council, she set up her own consultancy business, during which time she was also a research fellow at UHI Centre for Rural Health.

Additionally, Ms Clark has wide ranging experience as a member of committees and boards at national and Highland level, including eight years with the Scottish Consumer Council and several years with Highland Brook Advisory Service and Partnerships for Wellbeing, a Highland-wide charity providing health and social care services to vulnerable adults.

In accepting the post as Vice Chair, Ms Clark said: "I'm delighted to be appointed Vice Chair of NHS Highland. I am very much aware of the challenges we face in delivering much needed service changes whilst, at the same time, creating a caring and inclusive culture and restoring financial balance. Above all, I am looking forward to working closely with the Chair and the rest of my board colleagues to continue to develop the best possible health and social care services for the people in Highland and Argyll and Bute."

Welcoming the appointment, Boyd Robertson, Interim Chair of NHS Highland said: "Over the last two years, Ann has made a significant contribution to shaping our thinking on health and social care and I am certain that, as Vice Chair, she will be able to broaden her influence and contribute even more effectively to the planning of our services in the future. I very much look forward to working with her in her new role."

The previous vice-chair was Melanie Newdick was appointed in October 2016 and later resigned as the whistle blowers champion after only two months in July 2019 and left the board saying she felt she could do better job off the board.

Chief Executive Elaine Mead resigned prior to the publication of the Sturrock report into bullying. Chairman David Alston resigned on 28 February 2019 with immediate effect, only to be followed a day later by medical director Dr Rod Harvey. In HR there were also changes. The press office of NHS Highland has also had staff changes.

A series of resignations in the run up to and following the Sturrock Report into bullying have had major impact on the NHS Highland board. The repercussions of the Sturrock Report are ongoing with staff meetings across Highland taking place with management. the original whistle blowers are still maintaining that more changes should be made at board level. Dr Iain Kennedy one of the group of four Whistle blowers said on 4th September 2019 in the Press and Journal, "It is clear that there has been a major cover-up of board failings in safety, quality and also leadership. Those who failed to act are not fit to fix a problem they could have fixed in 2017. It's shameful and they should go."