Public appointment: Chair appointed to Public Health Scotland Board

The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, Jenni Minto MSP, and COSLA Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Councillor Paul Kelly, today announced the appointment of Alastair Boyle as Chair of the Public Health Scotland Board.

Jenni Minto, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health said:

“As Chair of Public Health Scotland, Alastair will bring extensive experience as an NHS Board member and vice-chair, along with senior  management experience in the Fire and Rescue Service. His background in public protection, community planning and partnership working is a great fit for Public Health Scotland as an organisation that plays a vital leadership role across the whole system in Scotland, promoting preventative approaches and enabling change.

He has a clear passion for prevention, early intervention and tackling health inequalities, priorities that are core to Public Health Scotland and our new Population Health Framework. Alastair will play a significant leadership role as Public Health Scotland drives and evaluates progress against that Framework, supporting a partnership approach to better understand our public health challenges and develop interventions to tackle their root causes.

I look forward to working with him as Public Health Scotland continues its vital work to prevent disease, prolong healthy life and promote health and wellbeing.”

 

Councillor Paul Kelly, COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson said:

“I am delighted with the appointment of Alastair as the Chair of Public Health Scotland. His wealth of experience in leading transformative change will build on the progress made under Angiolina’s leadership.

Alastair will lead Public Health Scotland at a pivotal time. His background in partnership working, including with people who deliver and use services, will be key to support the whole-system delivery of the Population Health Framework.

I look forward to working together in order to create a Scotland in which everybody thrives.”

Chair

Alastair Boyle MBE brings over three decades of senior leadership experience across the NHS, emergency services, and the charity sector. His career is grounded in a strong public service ethos and a commitment to working in partnership to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities across Scotland. His leadership has been shaped by personal experience of serious illness and by his work with organisations including the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), Blood Cancer UK, Anthony Nolan, and Cancer Research UK.

He is currently Vice Chair of NHS Lanarkshire and a Non-Executive Director of NHS Education for Scotland. He previously spent 21 years in the Fire and Rescue Service, leading major reform and overseeing the design and delivery of community safety initiatives.

Following a diagnosis of blood cancer in 2008, Ally established an award-winning partnership between SFRS and Anthony Nolan to recruit stem cell donors. The initiative has added over 20,000 names to the donor register, led to more than 120 lifesaving donations, and provided valuable citizenship education to school pupils across Scotland.

He is a Trustee of Blood Cancer UK and Chair of their Research and Mission Committee. He also co-chairs a patient and public involvement panel for Cancer Research UK and sits on two research funding committees.

In 2018, Ally was awarded an MBE for services to charity and the fire and rescue service. He believes the best solutions are developed with the people delivering and receiving services and is committed to bold, collaborative leadership focused on a fairer, healthier Scotland for all.

Appointment

This appointment will be for 4 years and will run from 1st September 2025 to 31st August 2029.

This appointment is regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

This appointment is part-time and attracts a remuneration of £48,516 per annum for a time commitment of 156 days per year.

Other ministerial appointments

Alastair is a Non-Executive Director of the NHS Education for Scotland, for which he receives remuneration of £14,352 per year, for a time commitment of 1 day per week.

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, any political activity within the last five years must be declared.

Alastair Boyle has had no political activity within the last five years.

Background

Public Health Scotland is the lead national agency for improving and protecting the health and wellbeing of the people of Scotland. Its focus is on tackling health inequalities, increasing healthy life expectancy and reducing premature mortality, with an emphasis on prevention and early intervention.

Public Health Scotland employs around 1100 staff and has received £67.8 million of baseline funding as part of the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2025-26.

Scottish Ministers and COSLA are joint partners in the strategic planning and performance review processes for Public Health Scotland. This joint sponsorship arrangement, which is unique for a Public Body in Scotland, reflects the crucial role that local government has in creating the conditions for wellbeing and health across Scotland.