This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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State Hospitals Board for Scotland
18/01/2006
The appointment of Dr Archibald Fleming to the State Hospitals Board for Scotland was announced today.
Dr Archibald Fleming was Director of Lifelong Learning at the University of Strathclyde, specialising in adult education and professional training.
He served on the Children's Panel for 10 years and was a governor of Renfrewshire Educational Trust. For several years he was a lay chairman of the Independent Review Panels under the NHS Complaints Procedure. His recent consultancy work has included assisting the Institute of Counselling with quality assurance issues and advice on course accreditation. He does not hold any other ministerial appointments.
The appointment will be for a period of four years from January 24 to January 31, 2010.
The post is part time with a time commitment of eight hours per week for which the annual remuneration is £7,490.
The State Hospitals Board for Scotland provides care and treatment in conditions of special security for patients from Scotland and Northern Ireland with mental disorders who, because of their dangerous, violent or criminal propensities, cannot be cared for in any other setting.
The Board has been part of the NHS in Scotland administratively since 1991 and, by virtue of the State Hospitals (Scotland) Act 1994, legally as the State Hospitals Board for Scotland from April 1995. It is a Special Health Board accountable to the First Minister through the Scottish Executive and is the only hospital of its kind in Scotland.
Patients are admitted under the requirements of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 and fall into two categories:
- State patients, ie those admitted from the Courts and prisons under a Restriction Order, and who may be discharged only with the approval of the First Minister
- Non-State patients, ie those admitted either from the Courts, but without a Restriction Order, or as ordinary detained State Hospital patients, usually on transfer from NHS hospitals, who may be transferred back to these hospitals following successful treatment within the State Hospital
The Ministerial appointment was made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments 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 (if any declared) to be made public. Within the last five years, Dr Fleming has not been involved in any political activity.