29 September 2023
The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Karen Wilson, is pleased to announce the appointment of the first three non-executive directors (NEDs) to the Health and Community Services Advisory Board.
In June 2023, the States Assembly agreed that a Board should be established in order to strengthen the leadership and performance of the department, and also agreed that the Board should include an independent Chair and up to five non-executive directors, in addition to the department's executive directors.
The Board will be responsible for driving up the standard of care delivered by the department, for the benefit of Islanders. It will also deliver on several key initiatives, including:
- Preparing the department for inspection by the Jersey Care Commission
- Developing and implementing a robust clinical and service governance framework
- Cultivating a positive and inclusive culture within the department
While the recruitment and selection process is ongoing, the Minister is pleased to have appointed the first three NEDs:
- Carolyn Downs CB
- Tony Hunter OBE
- Dame Clare Gerada
In addition to recruiting the non-executive directors, the process of recruiting a substantive Chair is also being undertaken. The substantive Chair will take over from the current Chair, Hugo Mascie-Taylor, whose fixed-term contract concludes at the end of November 2023. It is anticipated that an announcement about the final two NEDs and the substantive Chair will be made in the coming weeks.
The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Karen Wilson, said: "The appointment of our first three non-executive directors marks a crucial step in enhancing the quality of healthcare and community services in Jersey. I am confident that the expertise they will bring will drive positive change and that all three will play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of care delivered to the people of Jersey."
Two of the three NEDs will join the current Chair, Hugo Mascie-Taylor, at the forthcoming Board meeting scheduled for 4 October 2023, which the public are invited to attend. In addition to observing that meeting, the public are also invited to submit questions in advance that they would like to the Chair to answer.
Details on how to submit question can be found at Health and Community Services Advisory Board (gov.je)
gov.je