These commentaries by John Macgill represent his opinions only and not those of any Ettrickburn client.

Scotland’s NHS and social care app timeline unveiled

Health Secretary commits to kidney action

Scots kidney disease patients urge politicians to act

NRS-CSO conference programme announced

Rare condition screening for newborns across Scotland

Scientists to help cut NHS medical device waste

Pharmacies campaign to lead weight loss service

Government to review user voices on IJBs

AI for lung cancer care to help tackle “hidden killer”

Scotland falling behind on lung cancer screening

Charity campaigner to head up Public Health Scotland

Scots urged to show Yellow Card to meds side effects

Scotland’s new Chief Nurse appointed

Pharmacists urge leaders to act for the profession

Children’s doctor new Chief Scientific Adviser

Struggling health board appoints new leader

NHS waits pushing more patients private

Government to merge two national NHS boards

King honours Scots in health, care and science

Health board escalated over deepening financial risk

Call for ‘new way’ to assess dementia drugs

First Minster pledges people will see GP sooner

Views sought on unified long term conditions approach

GPs to tackle hidden risks of heart disease

Fears new Boots owner will walk

Scots living with liver disease set to rise by 54%

Scotland’s first senior heart pharmacist appointed

NHS Scotland relying on older diagnostic kit

New steps for pharmacists to access patient records

Gene study helps islanders prevent disease

Government boosts health innovation funding

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Analysis: abolishing non-residential care charges

New Alzheimer’s drug rejected for NHS Scotland

Livingston-made vaccine gets UK green light

Current metrics fail to capture full NHS activity

First Minister unveils NHS renewal plans

National Care Service plans scrapped

Highland GPs to reclaim vaccine services

NHS Lanarkshire appoints new leader

Less than half NHS PFI bill has been settled

Care sector criticises ‘budget that kills’

Briefing: Health and care in the Scottish budget

Watchdog: action needed now on NHS reform

Major shake-up in NHS service planning

Report spotlights drug shortage crisis

Scottish GPs to be asked about future strike action

Digital health: short-term cuts, long-term setbacks

AI in NHS Scotland is here – but the leaders aren’t

Councils walk away from National Care Service

GPs told not to prescribe hundreds of items

Social workers warn of harm from care power row

Thousandth patient receives TAVI heart treatment

New nurses and midwives left jobless by NHS cuts

Partnership to plough millions into NHS research

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New ‘clue’ to treating arthritis and severe COVID

NHS reform to dilute some board boundaries

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Kidney disease focus of new research partnership

‘Unprecedented’ crisis in community health and care

NHS Scotland unveils plan to cut plastic packaging

Scottish government consults on medicines blacklist

RSV vaccine rollout for Scotland to launch in August

Protecting public health through pathogen genomics

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Scots honoured in health, care and life sciences

GPs in ‘moral distress’ over drug shortage crisis

Genetic data offer new routes to fight breast cancer

Workforce and public to inform NHS reform

A third of positive bowel tests not followed up

‘The time for a care revolution is now’

Fast-track NHS training centre opens

MSPs to question kidney disease priority status

UK joins forces to combat antimicrobial resistance

Government urged to make lung health a priority

Glasgow celebrates medical research recovery

Cancer workforce “not going in right trajectory”

Professor calls to end cancer medicine funding lottery

New service to bolster Scotland’s health research

Charity: ‘Asthma care is in crisis’

Council to take all care at home services in-house

Rapid cancer diagnostic network improves outcomes

NHS receives extra cash from medicines scheme

Health boards to soon accrue £380m in lifeline loans

NHS chief execs agree 15-point plan to cut costs

Cancer outcomes worse for rural patients

Scottish health research collaboration extended

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Surveys to shape access to liver services launched

Edinburgh team seek new insights into MS progression

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The King honours Scots in health, care and science

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Government abandons plan to create care boards

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Being bad at healthcare innovation ‘is a choice’

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50 years ‘just the beginning’ says Chief Scientist

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Scottish health tech firm launches $2m clinical trial

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Call for preventative healthcare targets

Community pharmacy "sounding the alarm"

Scots honoured in health, care and sciences

£20m pharmacy cash injection small amid rising costs

Scotland commits to change the dementia story

Community Pharmacy rejects funding deal

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AI for early heart attack diagnosis

Expanding hospital at home services

NHS staff say data vital to improving care

Funding boost for hepatology research

Advice for devices seminar

Big data: closing the endometriosis knowledge gap

Briefing: Cabinet Secretary plans for health and care

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Joint pharmacy project cuts adverse events

Scotland first to ban planet-harming anaesthetic gas

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‘Miracle’ patient to help create new CHD guidelines

NHS boards’ ‘unprecedented’ budget challenges

Digital health: This is the moment

News Release Call to embed genomic testing for every cancer patient in Scotland

RPS Scotland director moves to HIS

HealthTech losing faith in UK market?

NHS struggling to find vaccination centres

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Forth Valley unveils learning partnership

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NHS Scotland forms landmark partnership

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Repurposed drug for MND

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NCS Bill published

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Scots honoured in health, care and sciences

Update: New portfolio to tackle inequality

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Ettrickburn commentary - Labour's plans to radically shake-up the pharma industry (part 2)

Ettrickburn commentary - Labour's plans to radically shake-up the pharma industry (part 1)

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12 December 2023: New chief executive for NHS Highland

This article was first published on healthandcare.scot

NHS Highland is set to welcome a new chief executive in the New Year.

Fiona Davies will take over leadership of the NHS board when current post-holder Pamela Dudek retires in March 2024.

Ms Dudek announced her retiral earlier this year after three years in office. 

Fiona Davies will move across from her current role as chief officer of Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership.

Ms Davies brings with her three decades of experience in clinical and operational leadership and management roles.

She is also a registered mental health nurse and recently headed up NHS Highland’s Mental Health Services.

She says it is “hugely exciting” to be offered the opportunity to lead NHS Highland, where she has worked since 2012:

“I am passionate about delivering the best possible care in the Highlands and Argyll and Bute, and working with our amazing teams and communities to do that.

“While I have lots of contacts in the area already, I will enjoy getting out and about to meet as many people as possible.”   

Chair of the board, Sarah Compton-Bishop, has also welcomed the appointment:

“Fiona has been an excellent leader of Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership, demonstrating vision, skill and empathy. I look forward to continuing to work with her in her new role.”   

Recruitment to the Argyll and Bute HSCP chief officer post will take place in due course.