Scottish Government

The Health Boards (Membership and Elections) (Scotland) Act was unanimously passed by the Scottish Parliament on 12 March 2009 and introduced, by way of pilots, elections to Health Boards in Scotland.

The Act changed the constitution of Health Boards in Scotland and in particular changes the way some individuals become members of these Boards by introducing a system of elections whereby a proportion of the membership of each Health Board will be made up of elected members.

The Act also, for the first time, sets out on a statutory basis the membership of local authority councillor members on Health Boards and specifies that there must be at least one member per local authority within a Health Board area. It also extended the voting franchise to include 16 and 17 year old voters that appear on the local government register.

The pilot elections took place on 10 June 2010 in the NHS Dumfries & Galloway and NHS Fife Health Board areas.

The results of the elections can be viewed by clicking on the links below.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway - Elected Members

NHS Fife - Elected Members

Since the elections some of the original elected members have stepped down from their positions. To view the current Board membership of NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Fife click the links below.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway - Current Board Membership

NHS Fife - Current Board Membership

In addition to the Health Board Election, the Scottish Government implemented 2 alternate pilot schemes in NHS Grampian and NHS Lothian Health Board areas. These alternate pilots looked to enhance the current Public Appointment system. The Scottish Government worked with both boards to engage and involve a broader range of applicants who would bring real life knowledge and experience to the Board.

All pilots will be subject to independent evaluation by the London School of Economics in conjunction with the St Andrew's University. The report of which will be laid before parliament before any decision on roll out is made. Pilots will run for a minimum of 2 years.

Useful links

Health and Sport Committee

Electoral Commission

News Release - Announcement of Health Board areas

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland

Health Boards (Membership and Elections) Scotland Act 2009

The Health Board Elections (Scotland) Regulations 2009

The Health Board Elections (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010

NHS Grampian

NHS Lothian