In the last issue of Staff News we heard from Non-Executive Board member Gordon Johnston and in this issue we hear from fellow Non-Executive Board member John Stuart .
Tell us a bit about your background, skills and experience
I live in Blantyre, Lanarkshire with my wife Irene. I have two grown up children. I trained as a nurse in Glasgow Royal Infirmary starting in 1982 and worked across a range of hospitals in Glasgow before retiring from the post of Chief Nurse within Glasgow Royal Infirmary in January 2021. I joined Forth Valley Health Board as a non-Executive Director in November 2021.
What inspired you to apply to join NHS Forth Valley’s Board?
Having worked with non-Executive Board members towards the end of my career in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, it was always my intention to explore opportunities to join a Health Board as a non-Executive following my retirement as I could see and appreciate the value of the role. I felt it would also help to keep me connected with the service, whilst at the same time making use of my 39 years of NHS experience. One of the key roles of a Non-Executive Board member is to support the senior team in the delivery of the Board’s corporate objectives and I believe I am in a privileged position to be able to do this in NHS Forth Valley.
How do you support the work of the Board?
I attend all of the Board meetings and seminars. I also sit on a range of Board committees, including the Clinical Governance committee, Audit and Risk committee and the Finance committee. I am also a voting member of the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Integrated Joint Board (IJB) and I chair the Forth Valley Pharmacy Practices Committee, which considers any new applications for the development of local pharmacy services across NHS Forth Valley.
What do you like best about your role as a Non-Executive Board member?
I really enjoy visiting local services, getting out and about and meeting local staff as well as my participating in the patient safety conversation visits. It’s fair to say that there is a lot of negativity around the NHS and these visits help reinforce the commitment and high standards of care staff provide on a daily basis to the people we serve. As a Non-Executive Board member, I also have the opportunity to influence the strategic decision making, plans and priorities of the Board and, as a member of the Clackmannanshire and Stirring IJB, I also have the opportunity to influence decision making within our local communities to help support the delivery of more integrated health and social care services.
What have you learned about the NHS and local health services since you joined the Board?
My experience tells me that the provision of safe, effective and efficient health services can be complex and challenging. Coming off the back of a global pandemic, it could be argued that this challenge could not be greater. In the short time since I have been a member of the Board, I have seen a number of changes to the senior leadership team, however, despite this, the commitment and drive to deliver on our objectives has never been in question. The Board and staff have worked tirelessly to respond to escalation and are to be commended for the many changes and improvements made.
What are your interests and hobbies outside of work?
I like most sports. I watch football and play golf and badminton. Whilst I don’t particularly like running, I did recently surprise myself when I manage to complete the Scottish 10km in a decent time. I enjoyed it so much I have already signed up again for this year!
I am chair of the Friends of Glasgow Royal Infirmary charity and I volunteer in the GRI museum every Friday.
What message would you like to like to share with local staff and partners?
We are all in this together. We are facing challenges on a number of fronts, not just in our work environments but in society at large. Look out for each other and ensure that qualities such as compassion, concern for others and effective team work are at the centre of everything we do.
