OMAGH man Dr Brendan McCarthy has been named as one of the new seven non-executive directors to the new Western Health and Social Services Trust.

Dr McCarthy is the senior leader of Omagh Community Church and is Chief Executive of the Shekinah Centre, a cross-community resource centre, also based in Omagh. Until 2006, he was Chair of Strule Erne Health and Social Care Group. He is also a lay member of the NI Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery.

The six other non-executive directors to the new Western Health and Social Services Trust, revealed on Thursday of last week by MInister Paul Goggin are, Niall Birthistle (Derry), Stella Cummings (Limavady), Joan Doherty (Derry), Ciaran Mulgrew (Derry), Sally O'Kane (Derry) and Barbara Stuart (Enniskillen).

On November 22 2005, Shaun Woodward announced a major programme of HPSS structural reform within the context of the wide ranging Review of Public Administration (RPA). One of these reforms was the establishment of five new HSS Trusts to replace eighteen of the existing 19 HSS Trusts (the Ambulance Service Trust will remain separate).

All five new Trusts will be responsible for the full range of services, removing the distinction between acute, community and mixed Trusts. They will be fully operational from April 1, 2007, when the existing Trusts will be dissolved.

The new Western HSS Trust will amalgamate the current Sperrin Lakeland, Foyle and Altnagelvin Hospitals HSS Trusts. This will include the current local government districts of Derry, Fermanagh, Limavady, Omagh and Strabane. Each HSS Trust is run by a board of directors, which comprises a non-executive Chair, seven non-executive directors and five executive directors. Executive directors are employees of the Trust.

Non-executive directors of the new HSS Trusts will receive annual remuneration of £7,500. The appointments are for the period from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2011.