Appointment of Non-Executive Members to the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency

Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt has announced the appointment of two Non-Executive Members to the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA).

Professor Pascal McKeown has been appointed as a Non-Executive (Medical) Member and Mr Hugh McPoland has been appointed as a Non-Executive (Lay) Member.  Both appointments commenced on 2 June 2025 and will end on a date not later than 1 June 2029.

NIMDTA Non-Executive Member positions attract a remuneration of £3,493 per annum with a time commitment of 20 days per year.

These appointments are made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.

NIMDTA commissions, promotes and oversees postgraduate medical and dental education and training throughout Northern Ireland. Its role is to attract and appoint individuals of the highest calibre to recognised training posts and programmes to ensure the provision of a highly competent medical and dental workforce with the essential skills to meet the changing needs of the population and health and social care in Northern Ireland.

The NIMDTA Board is made up of a Chair and 5 Non-Executive Members.

Notes to editors:

1. Professor Pascal McKeown was the Head of School and Dean of Education, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences at Queen's University Belfast from 2016-2023. He completed his undergraduate medical studies in 1984 and, following a period of full-time research, received the Doctor of Medicine degree in 1991. From 1994-1995, having been awarded an Alexander von Humboldt scholarship, he pursued molecular research in inherited cardiac conditions at the Max Planck Institute in Bad Nauheim, Germany. Following completion of postgraduate clinical training in Cardiology in Northern Ireland and London he took up a clinical academic post at Queen's University in 1998. He completed a Master's in Medical Education in 2003. In August 2011, he was appointed as Director of the Centre for Medical Education and then, in 2016, moved to the Dean's position. During the period 2022-2024, he was the President of the Irish Cardiac Society.

2. Mr Hugh McPoland was a former Director of Human Resources in the statutory Health and Social Care system. More recently he has worked with several Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and has also undertaken international work funded by the EU with NICo including work with the Healthcare systems in Greece, Slovakia and Bosnia Herzegovina. He also currently works as an Associate with the HSC Leadership Centre. 

3. Appointments to the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency are made with the approval of the Health Minister.

4. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published. Both appointees have declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.