Directors of condemned board will not run for office

Non-executive members decide against going for re-election

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Four non-executive directors of the Western Isles health board, which was condemned for serious failings by the Scottish Parliament’s audit committee last week, will not stand for re-election, they announced yesterday.

Mairi Bremner, Christina Smith and Helen Mackenzie will not stand down immediately however, but will see out their terms of office which run until September 30. Peter Rintoul will serve an additional year until September 2009.

The four were on the board during the period examined by the audit committee. There are five other non-executive directors on the island health body.

The audit committee said last week that, as well as the serious failings, there had been a lack of financial control that led to the health board falling into £3.36million of debt.

MSPs were deeply concerned that the health board had three chief executives. Dick Manson remains an employee, although his salary is reimbursed by the government, which is also covering the costs of acting chief executive John Turner.

Laurence Irvine has been suspended from the top job since September last year on a £100,000-a-year salary.

Mr Irvine is believed to be under investigation for alleged CV discrepancies, though the board has never commented on why he was suspended on the eve of a planned visit by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon in September.

NHS Western Isles chairman John Angus Mackay yesterday said: “The board has been through a particularly difficult period over the past few years.

“While it is understandable that these non executive directors are not seeking another term of office on the board at the present time, I am grateful to them for the backing that they have given me during the past 15 months, without which the progress noted by the Audit Committee would not have been possible.

“Their support in the coming months will enable the board to continue to improve corporate governance and to address the issues raised by the Audit Committee’s inquiry while the process of appointing new members takes its course.”