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Discover your midwifery career in Scotland
Discover the NHS board chair role
As an NHS board chair, you'll be accountable to Scottish ministers. You'll lead a board comprising non-executive and executive members that improves, sustains, and protects the health of people across Scotland. This is a demanding but fulfilling role, and if you think you have what it takes, we would like to hear from you.
The role of the chair
As a chair, you're expected to work regularly from an NHS Board headquarters. You must also be available to attend meetings held elsewhere in Scotland.
Work commitments and board and governance committees will be in a mix of virtual, hybrid, and physical formats and settings.
In this video, Carole Wilkinson, Interim Chair of NHS Tayside, provides more details about the role of an NHS board chair.
Key elements of the role
The role itself has 4 key elements:
- Strategic leadership.
- Understanding of Scotland’s health and social care context and environment.
- Governance and accountability.
- Constructive and supportive challenge and influence.
Each one of these supports the organisation to navigate challenges and strive for the best outcomes for the community. Underpinning these are the NHSScotland values that set out the culture and vision:
- Care and compassion.
- Dignity and respect.
- Openness, honesty and responsibility.
- Quality and teamwork.
Managing competing demands and time
The time commitment for NHSScotland board chairs is typically 3 days per week, but this may vary. Annually, there are around 6 regular meetings with other NHS board chairs and the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care.
Beyond this, the role also requires you to be present and available for meetings held across Scotland, such as:
- board and committee meetings
- board development sessions
- appraisals
- stakeholder engagement
- strategic planning
- other ad hoc commitments
While the role is demanding, you are responsible for managing your time and competing demands.
Holding other public appointments
It is possible to have more than one public appointment. You should check that you can make the time commitment for an additional appointment and that there are no unmanageable conflicts of interest.
This video explains how our existing NHS board chairs manage competing demands and their time.
Renumeration
The table below shows NHS board chairs' remuneration for 2025 to 2028. These rates apply from 1 April 2025. Renumeration is based on 156 days per year, or 3 days per week, unless specified in your terms and conditions appointment letter.
| Daily rate | |||
| Tier 1 | 2025 to 2026 | 2026 to 2027 | 2027 to 2028 |
| NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian, and NHS Grampian | £431.00 | £497.00 | £562.00 |
| NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Highland, and NHS Tayside | £341.00 | £422.00 | £492.00 |
| NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland, NHS Western Isles, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, NHS 24, NHS Education for Scotland, NHS Golden Jubilee, NHS National Services Scotland, Public Health Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, The State Hospitals Board for Scotland | £311.00 | £362.00 | £412.00 |
Find out more about renumberation for chairs and non-executive members of NHS Scotland Boards [PDF].
Diverse backgrounds
NHS board chairs come from very different backgrounds, and this mix makes for a diverse contribution as strategic leaders. For example, some Chairs have worked previously in the NHS, while others come with voluntary sector experience from industry or other parts of the public sector. What they have in common is high-quality governance and senior leadership experience.
To apply for an NHS board chair role, you do not need to live within the board's area or have previous connections to the organisation. However, you'll need to have an understanding of the local context. This will ensure you can provide the most effective leadership.
You can apply for and be appointed to the boards of public bodies if you are not a British citizen. However, you must be legally entitled to work in the UK.
In this video, you'll hear from some of our current cohort of chairs from different backgrounds, who have joined NHS boards.
Guidance and support for new NHS board chairs
Each board has its own induction process and training offer. As a new appointee, you'll also be invited to attend an induction day hosted by the Scottish Government.
As close to your appointment confirmation as possible, a buddy will be identified from the existing chair cohort. Similar to mentoring, a buddy chair will provide support, guidance and friendship to allow you to:
- settle into your role
- make connections with those you will be working alongside
We will make sure we understand your needs and match you with an appropriate buddy chair. Having a safe and confidential space to discuss challenges will allow you to grow in confidence within your new role.
Published: 01/07/2025
Last updated: 22/07/2025
Part of: Work with us
Topic: Become an NHS board chair
