Member Appointments to the Board of NHS Health Scotland

13 January 2016

The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport today announced the appointment of Rani Dhir MBE and Michele McCoy to the NHS Health Scotland Board.

NHS Health Scotland is a national Health Board working with public, private and third sectors to reduce health inequalities and improve health.

Rani Dhir MBE is an experienced Senior Housing Professional with a wide, current and past portfolio of Non- Executive Directorships in the public, private and voluntary sectors including Health, Housing, Banking and Charitable giving and the Arts. She was appointed by the UK Government as a member of the Calman Commission on Scottish Devolution. Having spent her working career as an Executive Director working to improve the Housing Conditions and quality of life in some of the most deprived communities, Ms Dhir has worked in, and for those communities who experience some of the worst examples of inequalities in Health. She also brings with her a personal interest in the Health inequalities within BAME Communities. Her current additional appointments include being a Board Member of the Scottish Legal Aid Board, the Housing Associations Property Mutual, (a UK wide property insurance Company) and Erskine, Scotland’s largest Military Charity.

Michele McCoy is a Consultant in Public Health and has worked in the field of improving population health for more than twenty years. Having started her career in Education she then moved into the Health Service working in the area of health improvement. She began working in Northern Ireland and then moved to Scotland where she has held a number of positions in two Health Boards, first in Health Improvement and since 2000, in Public Health. She is currently employed by NHS Dumfries & Galloway. Throughout her career Michele has led on a range of population health and wellbeing programmes, including a particular focus on addressing the health needs of children and young people, and reducing inequalities. She brings enthusiasm and commitment to all her work, and in particular to building individual and community resilience for population health and wellbeing.

Ms Dhir’s appointment will be for three years and will run from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2019. Ms McCoy’s appointment will also be for three year, from 1 June 2016 to 31 May 2019.

These appointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of £8,088 for a time commitment of 1 day per week. Ms Dhir currently holds a public appointment as a Member of the Scottish Legal Aid Board, for which she receives an annual remuneration of £9,000 for a time commitment of four days per month. Ms McCoy does not hold any other public appointments.

These appointments are 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. The appointees have had no political activity in the last 5 years.