Public Appointment: Members appointed to the Public Health Scotland Board

The Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport, Maree Todd MSP today announced the appointments of Mrs Carron McDiarmid and Mr Ewan Pow as Members of the Public Health Scotland Board.

Members

Mrs Carron McDiarmid has 35 years’ experience in public service, mostly in local government and in the Highlands.  She has held both front-line and leadership roles across a range of services, and with two post graduate degrees focusing on participation and poverty, she brings an understanding of how inequalities, housing, community safety, community activism, climate change as well as community planning can all impact on public health. She brings her experience of using evidence to improve services and outcomes, valuing the importance of lived experience in shaping inclusive services. Working at a senior level in organisational change and redesign, she has established evidence-based and partnership review processes which support scrutiny and challenge. In her most recent role, Carron was Executive Chief Officer for Communities and Place in Highland Council. This included responsibility for a range of health protecting environmental services, co-creating with NHS colleagues Covid 19 community testing and vaccination programmes as well as establishing local systems along with community volunteers to provide food, medicines and welfare support to vulnerable households.

Mr Ewan Pow was the Scottish FA’s Youth Ambassador for Change for Refereeing from 2018-2021, and in this role contributed to the Scottish FA’s Youth Congress whilst also chairing the Youth Referee Ambassador National Committee.  More recently, Ewan has been a member of the Young Scot health Panel and was involved in the rollout of the Covid 19 vaccine to those aged 16-25 by contributing to various discussions around disseminating important information about the vaccine and was involved in the social media campaigns on Instagram, TikTok and Capital Radio.  He holds a BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences degree from the University of Edinburgh and is currently a Medical Student at the University of Aberdeen.  In his study in Edinburgh, Ewan developed a deeper understanding of the major determinants of population health, and how upstream intervention can affect these determinants.  Ewan also has an ongoing interest in Emergency Medicine and recently presented at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Clinical and Research Conference.  Ewan is adept at contributing to and chairing national committees, working groups and investigatory groups.

Appointments

Mrs McDiarmid’s and Mr Pow’s appointments are for four years, from 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2026.

The appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

The appointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of £8,930 per annum for a time commitment of one day per week.

Other ministerial appointments

Mrs Carron McDiarmid and Mr Ewan Pow do not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity

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 within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.   

Mrs Carron McDiarmid and Mr Ewan Pow have had no political activity within the last five years.

Background

Public Health Scotland is Scotland’s lead national agency for improving and protecting the health and wellbeing of all Scotland’s people, using the best data, intelligence and research.  It was established to consolidate our public health assets and to drive preventative and innovative, whole system approaches that translate evidence into action that improves healthy life expectancy and tackles persistent health inequalities. Public Health Scotland is jointly sponsored by the Scottish Ministers and COSLA, a unique feature for a Scottish public body.  This means a commitment to shared decision making, planning and performance management in relation to the body.