Public appointment: Chair reappointed to NHS 24 Board

The Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, Michael Matheson MSP today announced the reappointment of Dr Martin Cheyne as Chair of the NHS 24 Board.

CHAIR

Martin Cheyne retired from ICI, 20 years of which was abroad in a number of countries, and has subsequently been involved in a number of charitable activities in Scotland and has held various voluntary positions, including Chair of Court at Glasgow Caledonian University, Trustee of Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland and Chair of Ayrshire Council on Alcohol. He was Chair of NHS Ayrshire and Arran prior to being appointed Chair of NHS 24 in December 2019.

Dr Cheyne has a wide knowledge of governance from both the private and public sector. He has been instrumental in developing strategies for a number of organisations and has overseen the rapid expansion of services at NHS 24 during and post the pandemic.

REAPPOINTMENT

This reappointment will be for four years and will run from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2027

This reappointment is regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

REMUNERATION

This reappointment is part-time and attracts a remuneration of £28,128 per annum for a time commitment of three days per week.

OTHER MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENTS

Dr Cheyne does 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.   

Dr Cheyne has had no political activity within the last five years.

BACKGROUND

NHS 24 delivers a high quality online and out of hours telephone service providing access to health advice and information at any time across Scotland. Its core unscheduled care service handles successfully about 1.7 million calls out of hours each year, providing clinical advice and care when GP surgeries are closed and people are too ill to wait until they re-open. Working with Health Boards and other partners NHS 24 also provides a range of other health information services to inform and support people in maintaining their health and managing ill health, including NHS Inform which provides the public with a wide range of online services including a health encyclopaedia and local services database.