David Ross HIghland Correspondent david.ross@theherald.co.uk THE man who masterminded the campaign to win unprecedented money for Gaelic television from the Thatcher government will now try to bring stability to the troubled Western Isles Health Board.
The body is understood to be facing a £3.2m deficit at the end of the current financial year, unless action is taking on its cumulative shortfall to date of £2.42m.
Andy Kerr, the Health Minister, yesterday announced the appointment of Lewisman John MacKay, formerly chair of the Gaelic Media Service, as chairman of the troubled Western Isles NHS Board.
He said: "I am very pleased to announce this appointment. Mr MacKay is extremely committed to public service and has demonstrated a clear understanding of the issues being faced within NHS Western Isles. His wealth of experience and knowledge will be extremely valuable."
Mr MacKay previously worked for the Highlands and Islands Development Board. But he deployed his negotiating skills to particularly good effect in the late 1980s and early 1990s when he won £8.5m and a Gaelic television fund from Malcolm Rifkind, the then secretary of state, and a dubious Margaret Thatcher.
The health board is understood to be facing a £3.2m deficit at the end of the current financial year. It has a cumulative shortfall to date of £2.42m, but officials insist there is a strategy in place for the board to break even this year thereby avoiding any rise in its running total of losses.
Meanwhile, last August Mr Kerr sent a task force to the Western Isles after long-standing claims of financial mismanagement and bullying and reports of a complete collapse in staff morale. The chairman, chief executive, medical director and media consultant all subsequently departed.
Mr MacKay's appointment is part-time, will be until January 2011 and comes with a salary of £25,655 for a three-day week.
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