Shake-up of faces onhealth board
The Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership Integration Joint Board has undergone a number of changes to its personnel.
Elected members councillors Crawford Reid and Xander McDade have been removed from the board, and are set to be replaced by Conservative councillors Colin Stewart and Anne Jarvis.
Some NHS members, including former board chair Linda Dunion, are also set to be removed from the board before the next meeting.
Former vice-chair of the IJB, Councillor Reid, admits he doesn’t know why he’s been removed, but he is relieved.
He said: “I’m not sure why I’ve been removed, but I am comfortable being requested to come off the board. I am relieved as it is a monster of a commitment.
“The NHS board members work tirelessly and the number of hours they put in is amazing.”
Independent Councillor McDade, who like Mr Reid was denied the chance to vote to save Beechgrove House Care Home from closure, will be replaced by councillor Jarvis on May 25.
He said: “There will be a real loss of knowledge going forward which is concerning.
“A number of councillors feel that health shouldn’t be a political matter, and myself, Councillor Reid and Councillor Eric Drysdale have been working to ensure that is the case.”
A PKC spokesperson confirmed: “Proposals to change which elected members sit on committees (and other bodies like the IJB) come forward via the political groups on the council, and then go before full council for a decision.
“The proposal for Councillor Crawford Reid to step down from the IJB went to full council in March, before the IJB meeting that looked at care homes, and at that full council meeting it was also agreed that Councillor Colin Stewart would replace Councillor Reid on the IJB from May 1.
“I understand there are some new NHS members on the IJB as well, which is as a result of changes to the NHS Board membership.”
Beechgrove campaigner Mark Cant said: “The wrong people are being brought to book in our own eyes.
“The individuals who should be stepping down are the four NHS non-executive board members who didn’t actively contribute in any way to support their decision to the general public.”