The Department of Health has announced the appointment of five non-executive chairs across five Health and Social Care Trusts.

In the Western Trust, Dr. Thomas Frawley will be appointed with effect from May 1 to a date no late than April 30, 2027.

The time commitment and remuneration for the Western Trust non-executive chair is three days per week, and £32,579 per annum.

Dr. Frawley graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1971, joining the NHS as a graduate trainee in the same year.

In 1973, he was appointed Units Administrator of the Ulster Hospital, with a number of other posts following in the EHSSB.

In 1980, he was appointed District Administrator for Londonderry, Limavady and Strabane District.

In 1982, he was appointed Chief Administrator of the Western Board. In 1985, with the introduction of General Management, he was appointed Chief Executive of the Western Board, continuing in that post until September, 2000, when he was appointed Northern Ireland Ombudsman and Commissioner for Complaints, retiring from that post in April, 2016.

Elected

During the period that he was Ombudsman, he was elected Vice-President of the World Board of the International Ombudsman Institute.

Over his career, Dr. Frawley has chaired a number of major reviews including chairing the panel of experts who advised on the review of Public Administration (2002), the review of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (1998-2000), and reviews of both the Northern Ireland Training Council and the Central Services Agency.

Between 2012-2020, he chaired the Audit & Risk Committee of the Scottish Ombudsman’s Office, and was a member of the Welsh & Irish Ombudsman’s Audit Committees.

He holds a CBE 2003, Honorary PhD Ulster University, Fellowships from Eisenhower (USA) & Kings Fund (London).

He is also a Member of the Professional Standards Authority, and was appointed to this position by the Department of Health in January, 2017.