Reappointment of two Non-Executive Directors to the Western Health & Social Care Trust

Health Minister, Robin Swann has announced the reappointments of two Non-Executive Directors to the Western Health & Social Care Trust (WHSCT).

Professor Hugh McKenna and Reverend Canon Judi McGaffin have both been reappointed as Non-Executive (Lay) Directors. Their reappointments commenced on 13 March 2024 and will end on a date not later than 12 March 2028.

WHSCT Non-Executive Director positions require a time commitment of one day per week and attract a remuneration of £8,883 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 except for 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 HSC Trust, and for WHSCT comprises a Non-Executive Chair and seven Non-Executive Directors along with five Executive Directors including the Chief Executive.

Notes to editors:

1. Professor Hugh McKenna is a nurse by background and, was Dean of Medical School Development at Ulster University. He has written 250 publications, including 17 books. He was appointed CBE and is a Fellow of four prestigious organisations. He chairs the WHSCT Clinical Ethics Committee and sits on the Regional Clinical Ethics Forum, advising on Health and Social Care ethics. He was previously chair of INSPIRE, the largest mental health, learning disability and addiction charity on the island of Ireland. In 2023, he was named by Stanford University as one of the World's Top 2% of scientists, received the Sigma Europe Award as one of the top 100 nurses over the last 100 years, awarded by Nursing Times as one of the top 70 nurses since 1948, became Editor in Chief of the Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing and was appointed Vice Chair of Alzheimer's Society UK.Professsor McKenna's interests are quality and safety of care and patient involvement.

1. Reverend Canon Judi McGaffin qualified in Dentistry in 1980 from Queen's University Belfast. After working in general Dental Practice in Armagh City she moved into the Community Dental Service specialising in working with children and adults with special needs. In 1991, Rev Canon McGaffin was appointed as the Director of Dental Health in the then Western Board and subsequently took on the role of regional lead for general dental practice and governance. In 2009 she was ordained deacon in the Church of Ireland and was pointed as a curate to a parish in Tyrone. She was ordained priest in 2010. Rev Canon McGaffin took early retirement from the health service in 2016 and took up the position of rector of the parishes of Fahan and Buncrana in Co Donegal. She was appointed a Canon of Raphoe Cathedral in 2021, retired from that parish position in 2023 and is now undertaking training in Spiritual Direction.

1. Appointments to the WHSCT are made by the Department of Health.

1. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published. Both appointees have declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

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