Who we are

Name:Myra DuncanJob Title:Non Executive Director

Department:Corporate Services

  1. Who am I?

I’m Myra Duncan and I am a Non-Executive Director (NED) of Highland NHS Board. This is a part time role which is supposed to take about 8 hours a week, however it is fair to say that it usually takes more than that. Mainly this is because I am so interested in NHS Highland and the services it provides and in health and social care generally,and because it is easy to get drawn into doing things because the people are so great. However I have to say that it is also because of the volume of the Board papers and other Committee papers that I receive (!). However I do spend more time as currently I have other roles:

  • I am Chair of the Highland Health and Social Care Committee – this committee co-ordinates and oversees the quality and safety of our services in the geographic area covered by Highland Council
  • I am a member of the Staff Governance Committee – this committee ensures that we treat our staff fairly
  • I chair the Skye, Lochalsh and Wester Ross District Partnership Forum which brings together local health, council, voluntary and independent organisations to identify solutions to issues that we need to put in place together
  • I do ‘walkrounds’ to support staff assess their quality of care, in particular infection prevention and control
  • I am chairing a review process for how we manage and learn from incidents and significant events

As a NED I am also a trustee of the Board’s Endowment Funds, which is a charity managing funds donated for the benefit of patients and staff.

I try to balance my NED role with my other work as a self employed management consultant. I do this based on the Isle of Skye where I live. I can’t image a more beautiful location for an office with inspiring views. As an independent consultant I work with organisations providing support, advice and management skills to help them improve their services and their own organisational arrangements. I specialise in strategic business planning and development, marketing, leadership and facilitation and general management. I work with all types of organisations.

All this involves quite a lot of travel and I love traversing the Highlands and watching the different seasons reflected in the landscape. Crossing the bridge to Skye gives me a great feeling of homecoming even though I know there is another hour’s travel to get home from there.

I moved to Skye in 2010 after a career in the NHS in Scotland where I was involved in development of health services on an all-Scotland, regional and local basis. I moved to Scotland in 2001 from the NHS in England, where I worked in primary, community and hospital services. Prior to that I worked in marketing and management consultancyroles on a UK and international basis, and in a number of management roles with different types of companies.

  1. What do I do? Describe your role?

I am one of 11 NEDs, who form the Board of NHS Highland together with theBoard Chair, the Chair of the Area Clinical Forum, the Employee Director and the two Council representatives, and the Executive Directors. (I hope I have got that right!).

The role of the Board is to oversee the management of the organisation – to govern our accountability and performance. This is usually called ‘corporate governance’. The Board has responsibility for issues such as health improvement, strategic planning and resource allocation. It is accountable to the Scottish Government through the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing who appoints the Chair and each of the Non-Executive Directors.

My role as a NED is to act on behalf of others providing accountability to the public for the use of public money -to ensure that the organisation is doing what it has said it will do and what it should be doing. Basically this is to ensure that we have the right policies and strategies in place to achieve our objectives, that we are being effective and efficient in what we do, and that our resources are managed well. Also that clinical practice is safe and that our staff are treated fairly and that they have the skills they need to do their work. NEDs provide leadership and act as an ambassador for the Board. We also ensure that patients and the public are involved in our planning and decision making.

  1. Why is this role important?

The role is important because it provides accountability to the public. The NHS and social care is funded by public money and the services provided are shaped by public policies at national and local level, therefore it is important that there is a voice within the management of public organisations that oversees how they operate. It is not a NED’s job to get involved in the detailed running of the organisation, but to ask how it is being run, how do we know that services are safe and effective, that staff have the skills they need, and that resources are used well. What is in place to give us assurance of this?

  1. Most challenging part of my job?

Dealing with a diverse range of topics, which is also the most interesting part. The things that we discuss cover infection control, new health centres, staff recruitment, medical records, care homes, finance and carers. At the moment we are focussed on the Highland Quality Approach which is about reducing harm, variation and waste.

The huge geographical area that NHS Highland covers – I think I have just about located where all the hospitals are and we now have responsibility for care homes, so I am trying to locate all of these and understand how other social care services are provided, such as care at home and respite care.

Also trying to keep in a governance role rather than a management role (which I was previously) and not getting involved in asking for too much detail – that’s what managers are there for. My background means that I have a lot of knowledge about the NHS in Scotland and I try to use this to help understand the opportunities and risks and make sure we are addressing these rather than trying to manage them myself.

  1. Most interesting part of my job?

It is so diverse. The range of people that you meet and the types of jobs they do means that you are always learning about new things. Also talking with lay members of committees and patients and their carers keeps you grounded in what matters on a day to day basis.

Finding out about the improvements that staff put in place. There are just so many and we don’t promote them very well. We recently had a presentation on the reduction in mortality rates we had achieved, it was really jaw-dropping to translate this into numbers of live patients. Our Annual Event (usually in September) is a good place to show off about all these improvements and find out more.

The range of topics we discuss is vast, we have a range of expertise and experience in the NEDs on the Board, so our interests are different. I’m very interested in how we involve patients and the public in our work and how we keep improving quality and safety.

  1. What qualifications do I need?

It’s not really about qualifications, more about bringing your experience to the table and not being afraid to ask the ‘daft lassie/laddie’ questions, or indeed any questions. You need to be able to get on with people, to be able to work positively with others. You need to have an enquiring mind and be able to think through complex issues to be able to take decisions which improve care.

You should have a commitment to the NHS, and if you have a particular area of experience or qualification, it could be useful as sometimes specific experience or knowledge is asked for.

You have to live or work in the geographic area of NHS Highland and you have to be able to commit to about 8 hours a week to the role.

  1. Who do I get in touch with if I want to find out more?

If you are interested in finding out more about the NHS Highland Board or volunteering for one of the Committees then please email

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