Progress on HSE Board as Government notes the appointment of Mr Ciarán Devane as Chairperson

Following a Public Appointments Service campaign to identify potential candidates to chair the Board of the Health Service Executive, Government today noted that Mr Ciarán Devane is the Minister for Health’s designated Chairperson for this role.

Mr Devane is the Chief Executive of the British Council and was Chief Executive of the UK health charity, Macmillan Cancer Support. Mr Devane has also been a member of the Board of NHS England, at a time when it successfully transitioned from the old architecture to the new, while maintaining system safety, integrity and performance.

Early tasks for the new Chair will be to participate in the selection of the CEO of the HSE, the process for which is underway, and to participate in the process for identifying other Board members. This is another important step in the implementation of a key Sláintecare recommendation.

Priority issues for the new HSE Board will include:

• delivering effective and safe services within the resources allocated
• developing and implementing an effective performance management and accountability system in the HSE
• developing a plan for building public trust and confidence in the HSE and the wider health service
• ensuring the HSE’s full support for and implementation of the government’s programme of health reform as will be set out in the Sláintecare Implementation Plan

ENDS

Mr Devane is Chief Executive of the British Council, a £1.2b public body with 12,000 staff in 115 countries.

He was a member of a Board of NHS England from 2012 -2015.

He was Chief Executive of the UK health charity, Macmillan Cancer Support. He was knighted for his services to cancer patients.

The legislation for a Board governance structure is currently being drafted. This legislation is on the government’s priority list of Bills and, working with members of Oireachtas, the Minister intends to bring the legislation through both Houses by the end of 2018. Under the new legislation, the Board will be the governing body of the HSE and will be accountable to the Minister for the performance of its functions and the CEO will be accountable to the Board.