Why Become Chair of an NHS Scotland Board?
Our NHS Scotland Boards play a vital role in the nation’s health, specifically delivering for their community, as outlined in the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework.
Joining one of the Boards as a Chair is a fantastic opportunity to affect change, to help set future direction and achieve the NHS vision,
“for people to live longer, healthier lives at home or in a homely setting.”
In Scotland, we want a healthy population and a wellbeing economy where every citizen feels enabled to live to their best, by the health service. With the focus on recovery from the impact of COVID-19, in all its economic, social care and health implications, now is the time that we need fresh thinking and good solid leadership to help lead our Boards over the coming years.
The Role Of NHS Board Chair
The role of Chair is pivotal to how the whole Board operates, with Non-Executive Members holding the Executive Team to account for delivery of health and social care services.
The role of the Chair is clearly defined in the Blueprint for Good Governance. Here are some of the activities that you would undertake:
- Lead the Board, ensuring that it effectively delivers its functions in accordance with the organisation’s corporate governance arrangements.
- Appoint Board Members to Standing Committees, Integration Joint Boards and other roles within the NHS Board and partner organisations.
- Keep the organisation’s governance arrangements and the Board’s effectiveness under review.
- Set the agenda, format and tone of Board activities to promote effective decision making and constructive debate.
- Develop the capability and capacity of the Board, ensuring effective succession planning is in place to maintain a diverse Board.
- Provide performance management and development opportunities for the Chief Executive.
- Represent the organisation in links with Ministers, the Scottish Parliament and other key stakeholders, engaging with diverse groups.
- Uphold the highest ethical standards of integrity and probity and comply with the Board’s Code of Conduct derived from the nine principles of public life set out by the Committee on Standards in Public Life (based on the Nolan Principles)
Chair Profile
Full information can be found in the Person Specification, but as Chair of the Board you will need to uphold the NHS Scotland Values, as well as demonstrate knowledge, skills and experience in the following:
- Understand the organisation and the environment in which it operates
- Strategic Leadership
- Governance and Accountability
- Constructive/Supportive Challenge and Influencing
- Communication Skills
Remuneration and Time Commitment
The role of Chair of an NHS Board receives an Annual Remuneration (non-pensionable), which you can find on the individual Board pages and requires the following commitments:
- Three days per week time commitment (flexible across the week) some of which may be in the evenings or at weekends.
- Attend Board and Committee meetings which normally take place at Board Headquarters (currently virtual).
- Monthly meetings to participate in national work (currently virtual).
- Usually a 4-year appointment term (with the possibility of re-appointment for a second term).
Further Information
The following paragraphs give an indication of the main circumstances where an individual would normally be disqualified from appointment to any National NHS Board or territorial NHS Board:
You will particularly wish to note that the Health Boards (Membership and Procedure) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016 which came into force on 8 February 2016 highlight that a person who is an employee of a health service body is no longer disqualified from applying to be a non-executive member of the Board.
- Although the regulations state that board members of one NHS board may not be appointed to another health body, Ministers can choose to direct that this disqualification will not apply. If you would like further information in this regard, please contact Linsey Craig on 0131 244 2384, or email Linsey.Craig@gov.scot
- Anyone who, within a period of five years before the proposed date of appointment, has committed an offence in the British Islands for which they are sentenced to imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for three months or longer.
- Anyone who has been dismissed from employment in a health service body, except by redundancy.
- Anyone who has been removed from office in a health service body before the term of office expires.
- Anyone who has been adjudged bankrupt and not been discharged; has had their estate sequestrated and has not been discharged; has entered in to a trust deed with their creditors and not been discharged; is the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order, or an interim bankruptcy restrictions order, made under the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985 or the Insolvency Act 1986; or who is the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions undertaking entered into under either of those Acts.
- Anyone who is or has been subject to a disqualification order or disqualification undertaking under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 or the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002.
- Anyone who is or has been removed or prevented from being a trustee of, or otherwise acting for or on behalf of, a charity (or body controlled by a charity) by:
- a charity regulator; or
- a court or tribunal in the British Islands
- Anyone who has been removed, for reasons of impairment or loss of fitness to practise, from a statutory register maintained by a regulatory body; or from a list under:
- Parts I or II of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978
- The National Health Service Act 2016
- The National Health Service (Wales) Act 2016
- The Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972
- Anyone who is or has been subject to a sanction under section 19(1) (b) to (e) (action on finding of contravention) of the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc (Scotland) Act 2000.
There are circumstances in which the disqualification of an individual who falls under the above may cease.
Candidates chosen by the Minister for appointment will be required to complete a pre-appointment check called the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). This is a security check that is designed to provide Ministers’ with assurance about a candidates credentials and confirm their identity and residence. Some appointments also require a Protecting Vulnerable Groups check (PVG).
Information on the Principles of Public Life in Scotland, Members’ Code of Conduct and Fit and Proper Person test can be found in the attached document.
Current Vacancies
You can find all of our current vacancies on the Public Appointments Scottish Government website.
