Listen
Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards
07/10/2009
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon today announced the appointment of a new Chair, Medical Director and Lay Member to the Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards.
Ms Sturgeon said:
"I am very pleased to announce these appointments. Each of the individuals are extremely committed to public service and have demonstrated a clear awareness of the key issues surrounding the system of awards. Their wealth of experience and knowledge will be invaluable to the Committee and I look forward to working with them."
CHAIR
Mr Kenneth Thomson worked for 32 years in NHS management, latterly as Chief Executive of Yorkhill NHS Trust. Since taking early retiral he worked for five years as Project Director of An Lòchran - a Gaelic language cultural promotion organisation in Glasgow. In addition he is a lay member of Employment Tribunals (Scotland) and is a lay member of the Investigating Committee of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Mr Thomson formerly held a non-executive member position with the National Waiting Times Centre Board, between August 2003 and July 2009. He does not hold any other ministerial appointments .
This appointment will be for a period of 3 years from March 21, 010 to February28, 2013.
The position requires a commitment of around 100 days per year for which the annual remuneration is £12,168.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr Charles Swainson is Medical Director at NHS Lothian, with responsibility across all NHS services in the area. He qualified in medicine in 1972 in Edinburgh. After training in the UK and Sydney in Renal Medicine, he went to Christchurch, New Zealand as a Senior Lecturer in 1981. He returned to a consultant post in Edinburgh in 1986, and was appointed Medical Director in 1996. He was the first Clinical Director in Medicine at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in 1992, and has served on the Council of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Dr Swainson was a founder member of the Cochrane Renal Collaboration and founder member and deputy chairman of the Scottish Association of Medical Directors. He chairs the Steering Group for the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, and Educating Tomorrow's Doctors work stream for the Postgraduate Medical Education Training Board. He is a member of the UK Funding Councils Medical Advisory Committee and the Health Foundation Quality Advisory Group. Mr Swainson does not hold any other ministerial appointments
This appointment will be for a period of 3 years from November 1, 2009 to October 31, 2012.
The position requires a commitment of around 100 days per year for which the annual remuneration is £12,168.
LAY MEMBER
Mr Frederick Hall BSc(Hons), Dip ASC, retired as the police officer in charge of Oban, Lorn and the isles in January 2009. In a thirty-one year police career he performed numerous roles including Chief Inspector Personnel and Training Support services Strathclyde Police, Co-ordinator of the Scottish Police service Accelerated Promotion Scheme attached to Leadership Management Division at the Scottish Police College as well as other specialist and core policing duties. He is a Rotarian and involved in charity work with his local Rotary Club. Mr Hall does not hold any other ministerial appointments
This appointment will be for a period of 3 years from November 1, 2009 to October 31, 2012.
The position requires a commitment of around 30 days per year for which a daily rate of £100 is payable.
The Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards advises the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and Scottish Ministers which specialists engaged in the NHS in Scotland should receive awards for professional distinction.
These Ministerial appointments were made in accordance with Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland (OCPAS) Code of Practice.
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, none of the above appointees have been involved in any political activity.